Everyone's Got Secrets
by Erisabesu
Summary: Ch.15 “Answering questions isn’t part of the deal,” Ibiki thumped a scroll into Sasuke’s waiting hand. “But I congratulate you on your information gathering abilities.” [SasuNaruSasu, KakaIruKaka] Romance, Humor, Action, Drama, Yaoi, Oh My.
1. Chapter 1

[SasuNaruSasu, KakaIruKaka.] Drama/Romance/Humor. Yaoi.

_"Six years ago, Naruto and Sasuke became teammates and formed a bond of rivalry that had always held something more–though they'd never quite acknowledged it for what it was. Now, with Konoha preparing for a major festival competition, the two have an encounter that forces them to consider what they really want. Kakashi and Iruka inevitably become entwined in the issue, putting their relationship to the test as they try to mentor their two students in a situation whose outcome no one can predict."_

(IN-PROGRESS. Mild AU, in that Itachi didn't kill the clan, and therefore Sasuke didn't defect from Konoha. Itachi's story is different, but hopefully enjoyable nonetheless.)

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**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 1:

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Uchiha Sasuke had been waiting for this day.

A gentle breeze swept through the dust in the Uchiha manor courtyard while he stretched his lean, muscular body in preparation for his morning training regimen. Feet spread apart, arms reaching up to the sky, Sasuke felt the early morning sun on his bare face and chest as he moved through the calm and deliberate motions that kept him flexible. It was quiet, just the way he liked it.

It was quite the luxury to have so much free time. Twisting his narrow waist from side to side, hands still reaching high in the air, Sasuke wondered what the others were doing right then.

_'Kakashi-sensei is no doubt sleeping the morning away with the latest orange novel covering his face_,' he mused, bending backwards until his hands touched the soft earth, bridging his back into a bow-string curve.

That Jounin was altogether disgraceful. When Sasuke passed the upcoming Jounin exam, he expected to teach Kakashi a thing or two about responsibility. He kicked his feet up, balancing his inverted body on his hands alone, muscles taut in a vertical line interrupted only by his black shorts and sandals.

_'Sakura…_,' he furrowed his brow, drawing a blank. _'What the hell did girls do anyways_?'

Girls _were_ practically useless as far as he could tell, even if this girl was training under Godaime. Still, he was glad to have such a strong kunoichi on his team; Sakura had been specially requested to visit their allies in Sunagakure for an internship, thus giving him the chance to study and train at his leisure for two full weeks. No distractions. Pure bliss.

He shook his head as he slowly raised his right arm to shoulder height, adjusting the weight of his body fully onto his left hand. His brow relaxed as his thoughts passed to the last member of the team.

_'Naruto_…' he closed his eyes, an image of his blond, loud, obnoxious teammate coming unbidden to his mind.

He saw a memory from the day before: Naruto's blond hair held back from his eyes with his hitai-ate, his face split into a wide grin and his cheeks flushed from the effort he always put into their sparring matches. Having cast aside his shirt and jacket, Naruto stood five feet from him, tanned upper body glistening in the sunlight. He reached his arms out wide in a taunting pose, and Sasuke could almost hear his annoying voice shouting loudly at him to, '_Hurry up and get me, bastard_!'

Unable to stifle it, Sasuke chuckled, and then his eyes snapped open in dismay as his body began to sway. He lost his balance, pushing off the ground with his left hand to land neatly on his feet, braced so he wouldn't completely fall over. Shaking his head again, Sasuke decided he'd had enough of a warm-up.

Before any other memories could distract him, he grabbed his shuriken pouches and sprinted off towards the weapons training area, his feet splashing across the surface of the lake as he took the most direct route over Uchiha property.

* * *

Naruto grunted, reaching fingertips to his toes which were planted firmly on the ceiling with chakra.

His firm abdominal muscles tightened and pulsed in an inverted crunch, before he unfolded and stretched his arms back over his head towards the floor. His muscles worked harder this way, against the pull of gravity. As he focused on maintaining an even flow of chakra to his feet to keep his body from falling to the ground, a black swirling tattoo spread out from his navel. He counted each crunch out loud from behind gritted teeth.

"One ninety-seven… One ninety-eight… One ninety-nine… Two hundred!" Naruto whooped, slapping his sandals for the last time, then releasing his chakra and somersaulting from his perch to land in his small apartment living room.

The tattoo quickly faded away as his energy flow returned to normal. It was obvious that he spent a lot of time exercising, as lean muscles wrapped his hard body from neck to calf. Naruto didn't spend time looking in the mirror, though, gauging his growth instead by the power in his arms, or the speed of his steps. Or—though he tried not to think about this too often—how close he'd caught up to Sasuke's height. Those last two inches were _infuriating_.

Stretching his stomach like a cat, Naruto grinned and looked out his kitchen window to the Konoha streets below, the early morning sunshine painting the buildings warm yellow.

_'I better get to the training grounds before it's too crowded. Should be a good day for Rasengan, too.'_

Naruto pounded a fist into his opposite hand, ready to take advantage of his first day off. He bounded into his room and changed into his orange and black training jacket and pants, looking in the mirror as he tied his hitai-ate firmly.

He paused at his reflection, thinking of his goal to become Hokage. His mouth tightened in resolve; he _would_ become strong enough to be Hokage. He knew it. It was a huge responsibility, but it was his biggest dream—it was what drove him each and every day to learn more, to gain more, to train more, to fight more. He was Chuunin now, but the Jounin exams were coming up fast; his dream was getting closer and closer.

Naruto considered yesterday's training, how his muscles had corded with the effort of combat, flexing and dodging, then striking and blocking. His eyes closed, remembering the feel of a strong, pale forearm braced against him, a lithe body twisting and kicking with a speed and beauty that took his breath away. His skin recalled the heat of that other body as he'd tried to pin it down, only to be burned by the fire within deep black eyes as they sparred past exhaustion.

He reached out to touch the mirror in front of him, body swaying from the intensity of the memory before he shook his head to clear it away. Naruto looked at his face, strong and handsome, serious about his dream. Then the seriousness vanished, and the boyish grin was back, his bright blue eyes twinkling in his reflection.

Reaching up to waggle his forehead protector, he winked, saying, "Next time, I'll beat that bastard!"

Naruto bolted out of his apartment, heading to get some Ramen and then train like hell.

* * *

Sasuke knelt in the cool grass, hunched over and breathing hard.

Thankful for the hitai-ate keeping the sweat from his eyes, he shook his damp hair off his neck and checked the target patterns all around him, deep inside Uchiha property. High, low, or half hidden in the trees and foliage of the virtually untamed training area, each target had a shuriken, kunai, or senbon needle piercing the tiny black dot in the center.

Sasuke allowed himself a crooked smile of satisfaction as he retrieved his weapons, since he'd hit all twenty-nine targets at least two tenths of a second faster than his previous record. Relishing the blood rushing through his veins from the efforts of the morning, he quickly gathered his things and sped back to the main house to find something to eat before taijutsu practice that afternoon.

Pulling a clean black shirt over his head, he rummaged in his kitchen, not finding much of interest. He scowled as his growing body grumbled its protest. Sasuke decided to eat something on the way to the public Konoha training grounds, leaving the main house where he lived to make his way into the village and duck into a small curry shop.

Sasuke was a regular here because it was hardly ever crowded, and the food was excellent. When he had eaten, he ordered tea and pulled out an old ANBU tactics manual he'd found in the Uchiha library, letting his stomach settle before his next workout while his quick mind absorbed everything it could.

He cut through the forest on his way to the practice area, until the tall Konoha trees thinned to reveal a large grassy field designed for sparring or practicing katas. Scattered across the space were logs and posts to be used for training at any angle or height. Sasuke was surprised to find it completely empty. He'd counted on at least one shinobi he knew to be around so he could spar, since he already had a training area of his own at the Uchiha grounds.

Sparring was clearly something he couldn't do alone. As much as it annoyed him, he'd just have to wait until there was a worthy opponent.

He started with jumping-jacks to get warmed up, and then he picked a vertical wooden post and began to practice a routine of kicks and punches. Sasuke spun around, jabbing and kicking high and low in an elaborate dance. His flexible body made the moves nearly effortless, the post denting and chipping underneath the blows. He focused his movements little by little, increasing his speed and using chakra to extend the impact of his fists and feet further beyond the reach of his flesh.

Although occupied with his training, Sasuke didn't fail to sense the chakra of an approaching shinobi.

The oncoming ninja felt familiar, and though he didn't know exactly who it was, he didn't expect to have to defend himself. However, strong fighters could always recognize other strong fighters, and a shinobi is always prepared. Sasuke froze and watched the trees, right hand loose beside his shuriken holster.

A tall young man strolled casually into the training area, though Sasuke could sense that he was on edge; perhaps an instinctual reaction to Sasuke's chakra presence. Pale, pale eyes blinked in his direction, handsome face impassive, long brown hair pulled back in a very loose ponytail.

"Neji," Sasuke nodded a greeting, relaxing.

This guy would have known he was there long before he'd have sensed anyone's approach. If Neji had wanted to fight—or to avoid him—he wouldn't be simply walking up to him now.

"Sasuke," Neji nodded in return. He gestured to the training grounds. "I didn't expect to find you here."

It wasn't a question, so Sasuke simply shrugged. He'd fought the Hyuuga in the tournaments that their Jounin-sensei's had arranged, but never for fun, just to spar. He was as surprised to see Neji as Neji was to find him at the public grounds, when they both knew they had access to far better equipped places to train.

He watched Neji size him up, and just as Sasuke opened his mouth to suggest a friendly match, he sensed another shinobi approaching very quickly. His brows came together as Neji sensed it too, and turned, pulling out a kunai as Sasuke armed himself with shuriken—it was coming towards them too fast to be a normal ninja.

A wild, green blur came directly towards them, then detoured sharply to their right to circle the immediate area several times. Leaves, dirt, and fresh grass clippings whirled in the air behind the new arrival. Sasuke leaped high in the air and loosed two shuriken at the blur, aiming not to injure, but only to slow it down, his sharingan recognizing and confirming that this was _not_ a normal ninja. He was aware that Neji had also leaped out of the circle, choosing to aim his kunai quite a bit closer.

Their attacks were successful. The green blur was forced to alter his path and do some quick back flips to avoid the weapons, landing proudly in the center of the field before them with a huge grin spread on his face. Sasuke and Neji stood opposite their opponent—Sasuke with his typical look of boredom, Neji looking annoyed at the dramatic entrance—both of them beautifully spotless and graceful.

"HELLO MY RIVAL! ROCK LEE HAS ARRIVED!"

Lee struck the 'nice-guy' pose, grinning at Neji, cheeks flushed and black hair all tousled from his sprint. He would have cut a dashing figure, so young and fit, except for the goofy haircut and green training suit. Sasuke glanced over to Neji, who gave a small sigh.

"Are you ready to train, Lee?" Neji asked, his voice and manner so refined in comparison to his boisterous teammate.

"I am always ready! The springtime of youth waits for no man!" Lee shouted in his normal voice, laughing in his hearty laugh. He turned to Sasuke, still grinning.

"Sasuke-san! What a surprise! Are you here to train as well?"

Sasuke shrugged, grunting noncommittally. Neji had come here to meet Lee, which made sense. Teammates often helped each other train. Sasuke preferred to train alone, since he learned skills so easily that he outpaced the ninja his own age. He could name only one other who could match him in focus and determination—he respected Neji and Lee though, and would have welcomed an opportunity to spar had they not already made plans with each other.

Neji, sensing Sasuke's disappointment at being third wheel, turned to him and lowered his voice, "Lee asked me to train with him today." They both glanced over at Lee, who was busy doing preparatory push-ups, still grinning. "You're welcome to come by my family's house anytime, if you'd like to spar."

Sasuke, still appearing bored, nodded once. Neji turned to walk back towards Lee, and Sasuke followed, retrieving his shuriken from where they'd landed. He stopped when Neji turned back to him. Those silvery-white eyes seemed to look deep within him, and Sasuke was mesmerized. He wondered, not for the first time, if the Hyuuga could read his mind—and what he might see if he did. Then Neji's gaze shifted over Sasuke's shoulder.

He watched Neji's brows draw together, the muscles around his eyes tensing. Sasuke made a mental note that he could use the Byakugan without hand seals or vocal commands now. It was difficult, but he resisted the urge to look behind him, knowing his inability to see whatever had caught Neji's attention. After a moment or two, Neji's face relaxed.

"Go northwest about a half mile towards the river," he pointed into the dense trees. "I think you'll find someone there to spar with."

Neji touched his shoulder, then turned and walked past Lee, saying something Sasuke couldn't quite hear. Lee sprang up, following his teammate into the open clearing, both of them settling into familiar opening stances.

Sasuke tucked his shuriken into his pouch, and considered. Neji hadn't said _who_ was on the other side of the trees, but since he was aware of Sasuke's abilities the opponent had to be strong. He turned northwest and jumped into the trees to make his way over to the river, deciding to do some reconnaissance. If it wasn't someone worth his time, he could always try and find Kakashi-sensei for some training.

Sasuke leapt through the trees, arms stretched behind him, the summer breeze ruffling his thick black locks. Eventually he began to sense the presence of a strong fighter—but there was something else on the wind besides the scent of chakra, a spark of something that made his blood race with electricity. Wrinkling his brow, Sasuke picked up his speed, determined to find the source.

When he caught the first scent of the river up ahead, Sasuke began his descent from the tree branches to land without a sound in the shadows. He crept forward, all senses on high alert. From up ahead, he could hear hard breathing and the dense pulsing of someone's chakra, mixed with the sounds of the river flowing by on the other side of the sloping bank. Sasuke crouched behind a thick trunk near the edge, and peered around the side.

Shirtless and barefoot, Naruto was busy training.

Stifling a gasp of surprise, Sasuke gazed wide-eyed at the sight before him. A look of extreme concentration screwed his teammate's handsome face into a fierce scowl, as he focused on the dense blue ball of chakra swirling in his hand. Gritting his teeth with the effort, Naruto dug his toes into the riverbank as he worked. Sasuke changed his black eyes to the Sharingan's blood red so he could _really_ see.

His teammate pushed more chakra into his hand until the round mass grew to the size of a watermelon, then Naruto condensed it back down to the size of an apricot—but without any chakra getting lost. Sasuke looked on in amazement. _How_ could Naruto contain all that chakra in such a tiny shape?

With his hand still across his mouth, he continued to watch, his eyes not the _only_ part of him interested in the view.

Naruto's whole body was tense, muscles tight and trembling with the effort of molding so much chakra at once. His lean legs were bent, bracing his body on the slanting riverbank, his torso leaning forward in an attack pose. The round curves of his right shoulder and bicep sang with tension as he held the Rasengan in front of him and manipulated it carefully. His dirty-blond hair stuck to his forehead protector in damp patches, and sunlight gleamed off his skin, which was slick with the sweat from concentration and summer heat.

A droplet of sweat trickled down Naruto's neck and over his pectoral, catching on the tip of an erect nipple. Sasuke felt things low in his body clench as his hungry gaze traveled over Naruto's flat stomach, eyes tracing the patters of the seal marking his navel. He'd known it was there, but didn't often see it as it only appeared on Naruto's skin when he used chakra. And Sasuke didn't see his teammate half naked very often, a disappointment he worked hard to suppress.

Naruto's concentration never faltered as he increased the Rasengan to its normal size and then slowed it down, its density dispersing. Sasuke gave a prayer of thanks for his Sharingan, for it showed that Naruto was somehow reabsorbing the chakra back into his body instead of using it up in the jutsu. _'When had he learned how to do that_?' Intrigued, Sasuke forgot everything except the sight of Naruto's very attractive form training in front of him.

Everything, that is, until a kunai struck the tree trunk centimeters above his head with a reverberating _thwang_.

Naruto was looking right in his direction. Sasuke skipped backwards, instinctively pulling a kunai into his hand even though he was sure Naruto couldn't see him in the dark shadows of the forest.

"Oi," Naruto called out, his expression annoyed. "I know you're there! So come out already!"

The blond pulled out another kunai, and stared into the trees. Sasuke considered retreating, however he was irritated that he'd been caught off guard—and by _that idiot_, of all people. Scowling in the shadows, he tucked his kunai away, and moved out of the protection of the trees. Uchiha Sasuke had nothing to hide.

He walked forward deliberately, hands empty, aiming a look at Naruto that said he needn't bother arming himself. Naruto started at the sight of him, his mouth almost twitching into a smile before his expression changed into one of confusion.

"_Sasuke_?" He asked, relaxing his body in relief that it wasn't someone more dangerous stalking him. "What the hell are you doing here?" Naruto put his kunai away, his hands on his hips, facing his teammate defiantly now that he knew who it was.

Sasuke's nostrils flared in annoyance. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

He struck a pose of boredom and superiority that he knew would annoy Naruto. Sure enough, his teammate scowled, squaring his shoulders in his direction and looking very irritated. Sasuke smirked back at him.

"Tch, asshole…" Naruto trailed off. "I can train anywhere I want. What I want to know is why _you_ were hiding in the bushes watching me." He reached up to adjust his hitai-ate more squarely on his head, exposing the long lines of his torso, and unaware of how the movement showed off every inch of his skin.

Sasuke swallowed, watching intently without showing it. He hadn't intended to hide in the bushes and watch Naruto, he'd just been attracted to his massive chakra and—

He sighed. This was all _Neji's_ fault. But that wouldn't make sense to Naruto. Being a tensai had its merits; it wasn't hard for Sasuke to come up with a story that Naruto would believe. He stretched his arms above his head, yawned, and turned to go.

"Actually I was looking for Kakashi-sensei. Since there's no one else strong enough to train with me."

Sasuke turned his back on his teammate, looking over his shoulder before walking away from him. In one second, Naruto was blocking his way back into the forest, his face furious. Naruto shoved a finger into his chest.

"Oi!" Naruto shouted. "You're not going anywhere until I've kicked your ass!"

Chuckling at Naruto's intensity, Sasuke stepped back out of his reach, and let a lazy smirk cross his face. It really was too amusing to push his teammate's buttons.

"I probably have at least ten minutes to spare before getting on with my real training," he challenged Naruto, turning to a relatively dry patch of the riverbank.

He heard Naruto's cursing in response, and smiled. Maybe this was a good idea after all. He had to admit that they were well matched fighters, and he always felt like he'd gotten a good workout afterwards. He refused to acknowledge how much he enjoyed this simple contact with his friend, needed it even, since he spent so much energy keeping his distance from others.

Somehow Naruto was just…_different_.

Sasuke unbuckled all his weapon pouches, laid them in the dry area and took off his ninja sandals. He could feel Naruto's confused expression on the back of his head as he deliberately disarmed himself.

"What the hell are you doing? Stripping?" Naruto shouted at him. Sasuke bit back a laugh, turning to look over his shoulder as he stood, crossing his arms.

"I can beat you with taijutsu alone, moron." Sasuke smirked, enjoying the banter they always went through, and the shocked expression on Naruto's face.

"The _hell_?" he shouted, his face turning red with rage.

Naruto's piercing blue eyes locked with his own, and Sasuke fought the sudden urge to take a step backwards. He couldn't tear his eyes from Naruto's, radiating murderous intent like two tiny blue Rasengans struggling for release. It gave Sasuke the most fearfully exhilarating feeling deep in his gut, though he remained calm on the outside in his perfected pose of bored superiority.

He watched as Naruto ripped off his kunai holster and shuriken pouch, tossing them onto his orange jacket ten feet away; he managed not to look surprised when Naruto also shoved his orange pants down to his ankles and kicked them aside. He stood opposite Sasuke in only short orange swimming trunks, his lean, mean form taking a fighting stance, and his jaw tightening in concentration.

Feeling competitive, Sasuke grabbed the hem of his black shirt and peeled it up and off his body, displaying his own finely sculpted torso and lean muscles, so that he too was only in shorts. _Black_ shorts. Uchihas did not wear orange. He watched Naruto's face as he flung the shirt towards his pile of discarded weapons, knowing that he was just as nicely built as his teammate.

_'Was there a flicker just now in Naruto's eyes_?' Not waiting to find out, Sasuke took his own fighting stance, their gazes locked in a display of fighting spirit.

A bird fluttered out of the trees, breaking the silence and urging both of them to rush at each other in a flurry of attacks. Sasuke dodged Naruto's fists as he scanned the terrain, making mental notes. They'd never fought here before, and it posed an interesting challenge with the long, narrow riverbank stretching underneath them, water on one side and dense trees on the other. He quickly calculated the slant of the bank and the soft moistness of the earth under their feet as the fight began.

Naruto aimed a roundhouse kick at Sasuke's head, but he blocked it with forearms, catching Naruto's calf and twisting upward with the momentum to throw him onto the ground. Naruto dropped his hands, twisting his other leg up and catching Sasuke's arms between his ankles, blocking the attack from a handstand position. Sasuke pulled out of his grasp, sliding down to sweep his long leg near the ground where Naruto was dismounting, aiming to do damage to that pretty stomach of his. Naruto somersaulted out of the way, and then sprung up and at him again, his sheer, physical energy a force to be reckoned with.

A smile spread across Sasuke's face as he dodged, struck, and blocked his teammate over and over, Naruto's loud voice teasing and taunting him all the while. His blood pumped with effort and sweat broke out on his pale skin; the sun was warm, but not uncomfortable. They both got in multiple hits—Sasuke knew there would be some marks on his body the next day. It was just as he'd thought, though, they really were well matched fighters. The score was _close_.

Sasuke lost track of the time as they sparred. He noticed when he got tired, however, muscles protesting the activities and begging him to stop. Naruto showed no sign of fatigue yet, which made Sasuke's eyes darken. _'How much goddamn stamina does the idiot have?'_

They had to have been fighting for hours; the sun cast longer shadows, its rays now angled so that Sasuke's original hiding place would have been in bathed in sunlight. _'Did he intend to keep this up until they passed out?'_

Sasuke had only looked away for a fraction of a second, and just barely managed to bend backwards out of the way of Naruto's sweeping leg, the power of the kick rushing past the skin at the tip of his nose. Back-flipping out of range, Sasuke glared at Naruto, who looked damn full of himself at nearly getting a major blow inside his guard.

"Oi," he cajoled, "Getting tired already?"

Naruto took up another stance, waiting patiently as if he could have fought all day and night. The sun glowed behind him in an orangey haze, and sparkled on the surface of the river nearby. Sasuke creased his brows in determination and sprinted forward with all his strength.

Feinting left, then right, Sasuke leapt high in the air, landing on Naruto and finally grappling him to the ground, arms pinned beneath his hands, and legs trapped beneath his thighs. Naruto squirmed against the moist riverbank, his face a ferocious scowl as Sasuke held him flat on his back. Both of them were breathing heavily from the efforts of the last hours, and for a few moments they just glared at each other, the Uchiha's red eyes fading to their original black. Sasuke held him fast, glad to have finally shut him up.

He was considering whether to let him back up when Naruto began to wiggle and squirm for all he was worth. Sasuke lowered his torso, pressing his forearms down to keep him pinned, and adjusted his legs to hold Naruto's trapped more securely. His hard chest was pressed fully against Naruto's stomach.

Sasuke gasped when he felt tingling on his skin, looking into Naruto's eyes, which were still boiling in fury at having been pinned although the expression on his face reflected similar surprise. Sasuke moved above him enough to look where their skin had been touching, seeking the source of the tingles that he still felt skittering across his chest. One look at Naruto's skin and the answer fell into place—the Kyuubi seal was vivid on his stomach, a dark black spiral surrounding his belly button.

Clearly Naruto was using chakra to power his muscles in order to escape Sasuke's death grip, but Sasuke held him there, helpless beneath him. He followed the elegant black embellishments of the central spiral with hungry eyes. _How_ many times had he wanted to see this up close? The curving black line twisted around and around Naruto's abdomen, ending in a perfect navel, a fullstop. Sasuke looked at it, fascinated, ignoring Naruto's vibrating muscles as he tried to free himself.

The world narrowed down to that patch of skin, the black markings like the calligraphy of a deity on the most perfect stomach Sasuke had ever seen. Unconsciously, his Sharingan pupils resurfaced, deep red drowning out warm black. His face was close, hovering over the smooth skin, sensing the airy current of Naruto's chakra pulsing just inches away.

Sasuke felt the hunger in his eyes slide down through his body as if it were thick as honey, settling low and churning in his abdomen, driving away all sense of reality. He bent his neck, and reached out his pink tongue to lick the uppermost curlicue of the Kyuubi seal, a pulse of chakra tingling pleasantly on his tongue.

Naruto went very still. His muscles were frozen, tense, but his breathing sped up. Sasuke ignored him, moving to the next marking, and the next, following each symbol with a wet swipe of his tongue, and almost growling at the pleasure of the chakra flowing between them. He licked up the spice of the blond's skin—Naruto tasted so _goooooood_.

Sasuke's tongue danced over the outside markings, finally coming to the large spiral in the center, drawing out a small moan from his teammate as he licked his way around and down into the dip of his navel. Sasuke was so focused on the taste and feel of Naruto's tummy he missed the second very quiet moan from the blond as his tongue brushed across his belly button.

Sasuke kissed that perfect navel, nipping and teasing it, quite totally forgetting where he was, who he was with, and most importantly what he was doing. Naruto was still tense, but wasn't struggling like he had at first. A quick glance showed him Naruto's eyes were closed, as if he were trying to ignore what was going on—or perhaps he was rethinking whether or not he truly wanted to escape.

Sasuke let his tongue retrace its path around and around the heavy black swirl to the outer lines and symbols before stopping to gaze up at Naruto's face. Naruto's eyes were still closed, and Sasuke could still feel some resistance where their bodies touched, though his teammate had stopped squirming in earnest.

He watched as Naruto's eyes opened, slowly, as if wondering why Sasuke's tongue had stopped what it was doing. Their eyes met, heat flaring between blue and black to make them both dizzy; dazed. Sasuke felt Naruto's body relax further, no longer struggling against him. Sasuke unpinned his arms and instead braced his hands against the riverbank, fingers sinking into the earth on either side of his teammate.

In a flash of speed, Naruto grabbed his back and flipped them over, effectively pinning Sasuke on the damp ground, his hips astride Sasuke's to keep him from getting back up. Sasuke gasped in surprise, his arms loose at his sides, his brain too fuzzy from lust and chakra to have stopped his teammate from turning the tables.

Naruto was looking at him now, his expression raw with only a hint of hesitation, and Sasuke could only stare in wonder at the beauty of the golden torso rising up from his, the orange of the setting sun bathing both of them in a haze, his hips gripped by Naruto's hard thighs.

Naruto reached down to touch his ink black hair, the fingers of his left hand stroking and making a fist in the long, silky locks at the back of Sasuke's neck. Naruto leaned forward—to kiss him?—instinctively rocking his hips against Sasuke's. Sasuke sucked in a breath as their hard erections rubbed together in excruciating pleasure, radiating throughout his entire body and making him bite his lip to keep from crying out.

He locked his eyes with Naruto's and watched in anguish as the spell of the past few minutes broke completely.

Naruto's face twisted in shock from the undeniable evidence of their mutual desire.

Sasuke felt the hand at his neck tighten painfully, and then all he could see was an explosion of bright stars; a moment too late he realized that Naruto must have struck him in the face with all his strength. Sasuke was completely frozen from the shock of the blow, couldn't make himself move although he'd felt the immediate absence of Naruto's weight and could hear him grabbing his clothes and crashing off through the forest.

Sasuke just lay there for a moment, waiting for his vision to clear, his cheek and eye throbbing painfully in contrast to his arousal. The sounds of the river were soothing in a way, and he tried to shut out all thoughts of the past few minutes. No, make that hours. Any moment of today that had involved _one loud idiot_.

When he could tell from the backs of his eyelids that the sun had shifted another few degrees lower in the sky, Sasuke sighed and sat up, feeling his left cheek very gently with his palm. It stung, but didn't seem to be bleeding. He blushed in embarrassment—it had been a very, very long time since he'd taken a direct hit from an opponent. He was the Uchiha _tensai_, after all.

He opened his jaw a few times, stretching muscles that he knew would only hurt worse later on, and then got to his feet. He looked around, knowing that Naruto was long gone, but almost hoping that he was still there.

He hadn't needed to look. He knew he was alone.

Sasuke walked to retrieve his sandals, shirt and weapons. Once rearmed, he trudged back up the riverbank to the trees, chest tight in an uncomfortable mixture of tired and hurt. He was about to disappear into the forest when he noticed a glint of something shiny a little ways to the side. He took three steps and found something unmistakably Naruto's in the grass, left behind in his haste to run away.

With another sigh, Sasuke reached down and picked it up, meeting the beady eyes of the frog wallet, it's shiny metal clasp of a mouth expressing nothing helpful in the situation. He felt a kind of hysterical giggle about to erupt from the absurdity of him, _Sasuke_, holding in his hand the most ridiculous wallet a teenage boy could have, so he quickly tucked it in one of his pouches and took off through the woods.

He'd worry about what to do with it later. Right now, the only thing on his mind was getting back to his house without seeing or talking to anyone.

Halfway back, as he cut through the outskirts of town, Sasuke groaned remembering that he had no food at home. He wanted to go home as quickly as possible, but he knew if he didn't get some groceries now he'd have to come back in the morning, and then he'd have to explain the black eye he could bet he'd wake up with. Compromising, he ducked back into the curry shop where he'd eaten lunch and ordered three days worth of food. Ignoring the questioning eyebrows of the proprietor, he paid and then disappeared with his meals.

He arrived home minutes later, arms full of food and no appetite. He put everything in the freezer for later, dragged himself up the three flights of stairs, and drew himself a hot bath. Scrubbing the sweat and grime of the riverbed from his body, he let himself soak for a long time, reciting ninja laws over and over in his mind to keep from analyzing anything that had happened that afternoon. It could wait.

Exhausted, mentally and physically, Sasuke curled up in his empty bed, in his empty house, in the empty Uchiha district, and fell immediately to sleep.

* * *

[to be continued...]


	2. Chapter 2

**

* * *

**

**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 2:

* * *

Iruka had been sitting at his desk, grading some papers for the next day and trying to think of a lesson plan before he heard what could only be _one_ person in Konoha coming towards his classroom as fast as a cannon ball.

"_Iruka-senseiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!_"

Iruka stood up in instant concern as his door swung open to admit a very excited Naruto. Iruka rushed around his desk towards the young man, the door slamming shut with a loud bang.

"Naruto! What's going on?" He reached out to put his hands on the boy's shoulders, but Naruto danced out of his grip—and then looked chagrined, rubbing the back of his neck like a little kid.

Naruto's blue eyes were wide and blinking too fast. Iruka put his hands back to his sides, brow furrowing as he examined his favorite student. His blond hair was sweaty and matted, his clothes were wrinkled and grimy, and he smelled like combat and ….riverbed? Naruto looked like _shit_. Iruka wrinkled his nose and deepened his scowl. This couldn't possibly be good.

"Iruka-sensei….I …I… I… It… uh…_I mean_…." Naruto spluttered, his feet shifting back and forth in more distress than Iruka had ever seen him in before.

"Naruto, calm down," Iruka tried to soothe him, stepping closer but making sure not to touch him again. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. Can you tell me what's wrong?" He gestured to the student desk just behind Naruto, and sat down in the one beside it. Naruto hesitated before replying.

"Umm… can we go somewhere else?"

Naruto's question took him off guard, but Iruka switched gears and got back up to straighten the things on his desk in the front of the room. "Of course. Where would you like to go?"

Iruka filed his papers into his knapsack and locked his desk drawer, glad that school was out for the day and he didn't have to report to the mission office that night. He put on his flak jacket and stood ready to go, but Naruto just stared off into space.

"Uh… Naruto?"

Naruto looked up at his name, but obviously hadn't heard the question. Iruka couldn't even guess what could be troubling him so much.

"How about Ichiraku's?" Iruka suggested, knowing ramen should cheer his student up. Naruto seemed to relax at that idea, and nodded.

They left the academy together, walking in silence to their favorite ramen stand. Iruka ordered, since Naruto had gone unusually silent, although he ate with almost the usual gusto when a hot bowl was placed in front of him. Still, he hadn't said a word about what was bothering him. Iruka kept ordering more ramen, however, and after the fifth bowl Naruto seemed to be full enough to relax. Even then he sat quietly, his calloused hands folded against his tummy.

Iruka sipped his tea while waiting patiently for Naruto to collect his thoughts, willing to sit there all evening if it would make him feel better. Not wanting to add any pressure, he went back to grading his homework papers, red pen flicking over an incorrect answer here or there, hoping Naruto knew that it was okay to talk whenever he was ready. He'd made it to the last three papers when Naruto sighed.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said, glancing over at his teacher. "I'm sorry if I worried you." Iruka put his things away and turned towards his student, who still had his hands folded against his stomach.

"No worries," he said, smiling warmly. "Did you want to talk now?"

Naruto's blue eyes flicked back and forth to the other customers. "Yeah. But actually, can we go somewhere less crowded?"

He looked so forlorn; Iruka's heart nearly broke in sympathy. "We'll go to my apartment and have chocolate ice-cream."

Naruto's small, knowing smile about Iruka's secret obsession was the first good sign the Chuunin sensei had seen. He didn't care one bit that Naruto was poking fun at him—he firmly believed chocolate ice cream should be a requirement for all medical ailments. Iruka grabbed his knapsack and paid for their ramen automatically, and held the door curtain open for Naruto to exit, but Naruto was lagging behind, his hands darting into every one of his pockets and pouches in search of something.

Naruto took his jacket off and shook it out, dumped his weapons all over the counter and peered into his holsters. Iruka went to see what this was about, smiling an apology to the stand owner, who was not excited about shuriken on his clean countertop. Iruka helped pick everything back up.

"What on earth are you looking for?" Naruto's face was scrunched up, agitated. He threw his jacket down on the floor in disgust.

"I must have lost it at the river. Shit!" Naruto looked helplessly at Iruka. "My wallet," he said, finally answering Iruka's bewildered look.

"Don't worry about it," Iruka waved it off, picking up the muddy, orange jacket and holding it out to his student. "You can find it tomorrow when the sun's back up, okay?" He gestured for them to head out, and Naruto followed, not bothering to put his jacket back on. He looked older in his black shirt and serious face, and Iruka didn't think he liked the change.

The sun had almost set completely; the Konoha night was navy blue streaked with some last remnants of pink and orange. The walk was short, and they didn't talk. In the apartment, Iruka hung their things on hooks by the door and went into the kitchen to fetch the secret remedy. Naruto kicked off his sandals and padded behind him, grabbing a seat at the small square table.

Iruka fixed them two bowls, and as an afterthought, got out the chocolate syrup and swirled a healthy amount over the ice cream. Naruto thanked his teacher, looking at the sumptuous bowl before him, but then put his spoon down, not touching it.

Iruka began to eat his own ice cream without comment, having no idea that the thick swirl of chocolate reminded Naruto of the swirl on his own belly that had been so delicious to his teammate. Iruka tried not to seem worried about his student, thanking god for giving him the patience to be a teacher in the first place. He let them sit in the comfortable silence, content to allow Naruto the time he needed to collect himself. Thus, he was drastically unprepared for Naruto's first question.

"Iruka-sensei, what does it mean when a guy turns you on?"

Iruka dropped his spoonful of chocolate ice cream on the table, splattering his face, his shirt, Naruto, and the refrigerator. Feigning calm, Iruka reached for some napkins, handing some to Naruto and pausing to wipe the chocolate from his slowly blushing face as he tried to wrap his brain around the question. (Thus, he wouldn't remember the splattered refrigerator until the next day.) He looked at Naruto in bewilderment.

"_Pardon_?"

Naruto flushed, but pressed on. "I mean like, you know….like how guys like girls…" he started, struggling to communicate what was on his mind. "…Except, maybe sometimes… guys don't like girls… I mean…not like _that_…"

He put his head down on the table, groaning into the crook of his elbow in embarrassment. "How do you know which you are?"

Iruka sat still, his face the color of freshly squashed chili peppers. He was grateful that Naruto's face was hidden so he couldn't see. Then, just as suddenly, Iruka began to blanch as he realized something significant. _Why_ did Naruto come to ME? Is it my looks? My voice? _WHAT?_ He thought quickly for a minute, apprehension snaking through his heart—

_Or could he have found out about Kakashi?_

Iruka's mind careened beneath his skull, desperate to figure out if either of them had slipped up, and if so, _when_. He and Kakashi had been secretly together for over a year now, but they had decided to keep it quiet since neither of them was _OUT_. It hadn't been hard, since they were both Konoha ninjas, and Kakashi was more than famous for his ninja skills. So how—

Iruka jumped when he heard a muffled groan from Naruto, pleading for answers, "Awwwww, Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka softened his expression, turning his attention back to his student. He'd just have to assume that Naruto came to him out of _friendship_, and not for _personal experience_.

"Gomen, Naruto, you caught me by surprise there," Iruka chuckled through his embarrassment, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. Naruto's face lifted, awkwardly shy, but mostly searching for truth.

Iruka took a deep breath, "Well, you see, some guys like girls, and some guys like guys, and some guys like girls and guys both."

Naruto nodded, waiting for Iruka to continue. Iruka was satisfied with that answer, but soon began to fidget under Naruto's eager gaze.

"Oi, go on!" Naruto said, beginning to resemble his old self. Iruka fidgeted more, not knowing how to expound on the subject. Naruto was old enough to be asking these kinds of questions, but why was it coming up _now_?

"Naruto…." Iruka hedged, "Is there something behind this?" He looked expectantly at his student. This time Naruto flushed and looked away.

"Maaa, sensei," he began awkwardly, "I just … I mean, is it normal?" He ran a hand over his dirty blond hair, and pulled off his hitai-ate to finger the metal plate.

Iruka took a deep breath. He could handle this. "Well, I suppose it's not as common for guys and guys to like each other, but it's just as normal." He picked up his spoon and ate another bite of ice cream to soothe his nerves. "The same rules and ethics apply to all relationships, Naruto." He ate another bite of chocolate, grateful that he had refilled the freezer just that morning, regardless of Kakashi's teasing. He might need seconds and thirds after Naruto went home.

Naruto seemed to consider this, and then his nose flushed red again as he asked very quietly, "Have you ever been turned on by a guy?"

The blond had busied his hands with his hitai-ate, and so was unable to catch Iruka's empty spoon as it crashed to the table again and slid off the far edge to clatter on the floor. Iruka folded his hands in front of him and decided to leave the spoon where it fell, trying as hard as he could to stop the heated flush creeping from his collar bones up to his hairline.

Well, this was part of being a teacher, wasn't it? He cleared his throat. "Yeah."

Naruto's head snapped up, his clear blue eyes looking into Iruka's. "_Seriously_?"

Iruka squirmed a bit at the full force of Naruto's expression, but managed to nod, looking at his hands. He heard Naruto sigh, and glanced over to see him sitting back in the chair in relief. The atmosphere grew silent for a while before Iruka spoke.

"What's this about all of a sudden?" he asked his student.

Naruto leaned back in the chair, studying the ceiling. He folded his hands across his stomach, in thought, then responded with another question. "Is it really that different? If you're with a guy rather than a girl… like that?"

Iruka thought hands down that it was, but wondered how far Naruto was likely to push him with awkward questions. If this was the beginning, then he suspected that he could be in for _quite_ an evening.

"I would say so. Men and women are very different, so it follows that being … romantic would also be different." He folded his arms across his body, unconsciously protecting himself from further embarrassment.

"Do you like it? Like…being with a guy, I mean?" Naruto asked.

Iruka thought about Kakashi, and how the mere idea of touching his lips to the other man made his stomach do flips of excitement. He nodded again at Naruto, "Yeah."

Naruto was quiet for a few moments, and Iruka was thankful for the silence that allowed him to clear his head. He wondered absently how Kakashi would handle these kinds of questions, had Naruto chosen to go to him instead. He'd wager that Kakashi would probably just hand over a particularly juicy orange novel rather than be drawn into this game of twenty questions.

Still, it was amusing to remember his own confusion and experimentation, and how he discovered for himself how amazing things could be with the right person. Or in Iruka's case, the right _man_. Face flushing at the thought of Kakashi—naked and begging or clothed and laughing—Iruka turned back to his student when Naruto cleared his throat.

"Uh, so how do you know if another guy likes you then?" Naruto asked, one of his hands absently stroking his stomach in circles. Iruka pondered this, trying to imagine someone normal since Kakashi clearly _wasn't_.

"Well, probably he'd spend a lot of time with you. And probably he'd ask you out on a date or something." Iruka scrunched up his face, remembering Kakashi's bizarre behavior before they were courting, including a near-kidnapping that he liked to call their first date. He sighed, "He'd probably do lots of things to try and get your attention." Iruka saw Naruto's eyebrow go up, and figured he'd hit on something with his last statements.

Naruto was the one fidgeting now, still reluctant to share what was really on his mind. He crossed his arms, mirroring his sensei, "Okay… well what happens if you do something stupid…. and maybe you've ruined everything?" Naruto looked at the floor, sullen.

Iruka sat forward, leaning his elbows on the table. "Naruto, I will be as helpful as I can, but it would help me a lot if you'd tell me what this is all about. However, I'll do my best to answer your questions anyways." He took a deep breath. "I'm no expert on relationships, of any kind really, but I'd be willing to say that I think if it's the right person, then there's probably not much you can do to ruin it."

Naruto's depressed expression helped Iruka warm to the topic. "No relationship is going to be bright and sunny all the time. There's bound to be some friction as you are learning to figure out the other person, and adjusting to the consideration of someone else above yourself. But I really think that if both people want things to work, they can make it work. Part of that is compromise, and a lot of it is forgiveness. You wouldn't _believe _the things Kakashi—"

Iruka slapped a hand over his mouth, stifling the rest of his thoughts, and looking wide-eyed at Naruto. His student sat forward abruptly at that little slip, gawking for a moment, and then he settled back in his chair, chuckling.

With a less than innocent grin on his face, Naruto tried to reassure him, saying, "I promise not to tell."

Iruka let out his breath, removing the hand from his mouth, and then buried his face into his elbow, like Naruto had done earlier, groaning in much the same way. He was absolutely mortified. Not because he was in love with a gorgeous male assassin, but because he had slipped up to one of his students, and Kakashi was never going to let this one go if he ever found out—and he'd have to be sure that he didn't. When he heard his student's voice next, he could almost see Naruto's excited hand in the air, like he used to do in class.

"Iruka-sensei? Can I ask another question?"

Not wanting to think any more about his lover and how he would react to this…_development_, he answered, "Go ahead."

"Does…being with Kakashi make you … get hard?"

Iruka twitched, biting back a groan. One more question like that and he was going to explode! This really wasn't fair, even if he did love teaching, and even if Naruto was one of his favorite students of all time. Why the hell was there anyone trying to have a conversation with _him_ about such a _delicate subject_?! And could his poor face _possibly_ turn any more red?! When he found Kakashi later he was going to punish him; if he weren't so damn hot, Iruka wouldn't have to deal with the indignity of being almost _constantly_ hard around him. He couldn't very well explain that to _Naruto_.

He groaned again before lifting his head in defeat. "Naruto, when guys do anything romantic with anyone, there's a chance they'll get hard. Is this really a surprise to you?"

"Well…" Naruto shrugged, not knowing what to say. Iruka finally reached his limits.

"I think you better tell me what's on your mind, because we're not getting anywhere 'beating around the bush.'" Iruka stated firmly, glaring. Damn all this talk of getting hard and Kakashi. Iruka was nearly hard as it was, and the man wasn't anywhere near his apartment. Clearly his lover's lewdness extended past his actual body.

Iruka locked eyes with Naruto, who seemed to want to stall again, but then his student took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. They were finally getting to the heart of the matter.

"I've been really confused," Naruto began, "About this guy. One minute I want to beat him into a bloody pulp and the next…" he trailed off. "The next minute I just want to rip his clothes off and…. It doesn't make any sense! I've tried to ignore it for a while, but it hasn't gone away." Naruto paused, shifting in his chair so that he was hunched forward, elbows resting on knees. He looked at the floor, not at Iruka.

"Today I was training alone, down at the river, working on some variants of Rasengan. Once or twice I've sensed someone nearby, but they've always turned the other way, like they could tell I was there and avoided the area. Well this time was different. While I was practicing, I sensed another shinobi and this time they didn't leave, like they were watching me from the shadows. I ignored it at first, since it wasn't that big of a deal, but then it just pissed me off. So I threw a kunai, and the shinobi that came out was _HIM_. He mouthed off at me, and we started to spar without weapons, or…" Naruto blushed, forcing himself to go on, "Er, we were only wearing shorts." Iruka raised an eyebrow, but didn't interrupt. Naruto ran a hand through his hair again, his usual nervous gesture.

"We fought for a long time, most of the afternoon, and there wasn't a clear winner. I was determined to kick his ass! He's so arrogant! God!" Naruto smacked a fist into his palm. "Then everything got weird."

He sat back in his chair, slouching against the chair back, lacing his fingers behind his head. His eyes looked at the ceiling as he finished out his tale. "He finally was able to pin me to the ground, and I was struggling to get back up, and then there were, like, tingles on my skin. _Here_." He placed a hand on his belly. "He must have felt it too, because he moved to look at my stomach, and then… then he licked me. He licked the Kyuubi seal. I've never felt anything like that!" Naruto glanced at Iruka, who nodded, but didn't comment. "I mean, I didn't want to be pinned, because I didn't want to lose, but it felt good. What he did felt so, incredibly _good_."

Iruka shifted his legs, forcing his mind away from memories of Kakashi's tongue and what it was capable of.

"It's like I couldn't think. And then I was looking into his eyes, and he was so _beautiful_. And so I flipped us over because I wanted to touch him back. I didn't even know what I was doing. And then…" Naruto paused, shifting his legs more comfortably, and flushing deeply. "Then, well, when I leaned forward, my… er… hips… I mean his… er… hips…" He stuttered, his face crimson, unable to say more.

"You were both hard, I take it?" Iruka offered to help him out, face equally crimson.

"Yes!" Naruto nodded, "And when I felt that he… that I… I just freaked out! I didn't know what was happening, or why I was trying to kiss him, and it scared me. _He_ scared me—it scared me that we both wanted it. The last thing I remember was punching him as hard as I could, and then getting the hell outta there. I couldn't think of anyplace to go other than your classroom."

Naruto sighed, a hand moving down to rest on his stomach. "What the hell do I do now? I don't even know what any of this means! He's a _guy_! And I can't believe I punched him…I was just scared. So how do I take it back?"

Naruto sat there, not looking at his sensei, though Iruka was watching him closely. He sighed, some of the earlier questions making sense after finally getting the real story. Well, at least he now had the chance to ask some questions of his own.

"This is the first time you've…_well_…with a guy before?"

Naruto flushed deeply at that, a sure sign he hadn't done anything with anyone before though Iruka doubted he'd ever admit it. Naruto lowered his voice, coughing. "Well, whatever… I mean, I guess I _am_ attracted to this guy. And we do get along pretty well, except when he's a pretentious bastard."

Iruka raised his brows at that. The _mystery-licker_ could be one of at least three former students, if he wasn't mistaken. "When you were… fooling around with him, did you like it? Would you want to do it again?"

Naruto closed his eyes, then very confidently answered, "Hell yeah. I think I've wanted to do something like that for a while. But I didn't think it would happen. I mean I didn't know how to make it happen…or if he'd want to. But it was awesome! At least until I got scared. It was so intense." He sighed, "I can't imagine I'd ever get tired of doing that with him, if it's always like today."

Iruka had one more question. "Naruto, how important is this guy to you?"

The blond answered immediately, "Very. He's a precious person to me."

Iruka spread his hands, "Then, I'm afraid you're just going to have to talk with him."

Naruto scowled, "Tch, easy for you to say. Sasuke doesn't talk to anyone." He glared at nothing in particular, lost in his own memories.

Iruka held his breath. Sasuke? _Sasuke_? SASUKE!

Naruto hadn't realized that he'd let Sasuke's name slip yet, but Iruka was more astounded by the fact that it was _Sasuke_ he'd been talking about! Sasuke pinning him on the ground… Sasuke licking the Kyuubi seal…Sasuke all hot and bothered…Well, well, well. How about that. Iruka shook himself, attempting to focus on the matter at hand, and proceeding cautiously.

"Well, have you tried to talk to him? I mean, he's a smart guy, and I bet he just realized before you did that he was attracted to you and decided to do something about it. I bet he'd talk to you about _this_, even though he doesn't like talking."

Naruto seemed unconvinced, shaking his head. "Maybe he would… but not after I hit him in the face." Hmmm, Iruka had forgotten about that.

Naruto continued, "I can't believe it landed anyways, I mean, he didn't even try to block! Even if I apologized, he'd probably just slam his door and never speak to me again. And what happens when there's a mission? I can't pretend that none of this happened."

"I don't think you should," Iruka shook his head. "You and Sasuke just have to work it out, Naruto."

His student whipped his head around. "Oi!" he shouted, pointing at Iruka's face, "Who said anything about that jerkwad, Sasuke?!"

Iruka looked at him in disbelief, and then began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh, gripping his stomach with both arms and ignoring the tears streaming from his eyes, much to Naruto's fury.

"Oi, sensei," he tried to rouse Iruka, and failed as Iruka just ignored him and continued to laugh uncontrollably. Eventually the giggles wore off, and Iruka straightened back up in his chair, wiping the back of his right hand across his eyes a few times.

"Oh, Naruto! What a pair we are!" He smiled at his student. Naruto looked at him, confused. Iruka just shook his head, blinking through the last of the tears. Naruto glared, but when Iruka held out his pinky finger, Naruto curled his own pinky around it, and they both swore to never repeat anything they'd talked about that night.

* * *

Iruka waved goodbye to Naruto, and closed the door.

He put their dishes away, and then flopped on his couch, mentally exhausted from the long evening. Naruto in small doses could be exhausting, he admitted to himself, not to mention a Naruto that was exploring the joys of gayness and asking him embarrassing questions. Iruka flung an arm over his eyes, feeling a flush creep over his cheeks _again_.

He sighed, wondering where Kakashi was, and if he might pop over that night; he could really use the diversion. They usually waited until late night to meet each other, so that there'd be less of a chance of anyone catching them coming or going from either of their apartments. For right now, it was their arrangement, and Iruka scowled at the clock. Well, it's not like Kakashi was going to be _early_, even if Iruka was hot from all the talking and was sitting there willing and ready for him in the empty apartment.

Iruka stood, and put his jacket and sandals back on. There was only one way to fix the situation: He would just go over to Kakashi's place. Yes.

He bounded out the door, leaping up on the closest rooftop, and made his way across the Konoha skyline to the block where Kakashi lived. Not wanting to be seen, even in the almost-dark, Iruka crawled along the slanting tiles to their rounded edge and flipped over the rim and into Kakashi's open kitchen window, landing in a hushed crouch on the countertop.

The apartment was quiet, thick with shadows, only enough light from the few street lamps outside that Iruka could make out the interior of the apartment and the familiar arrangement of furniture. He hopped to the floor and moved silently into the room, scanning for Kakashi's presence, and finding nothing.

"Tch," he muttered, straightening up and walking over to the front door to slip off his sandals. Then he made his way to the bedroom, smirking at a naughty idea. Perhaps he should strip naked and wait in Kakashi's bed for him to come home. Oh, ho, ho, _yes_!

In the doorway of the bedroom, Iruka paused and reached towards the light switch, glancing at the king sized bed and freezing in absolute shock. His jaw dropped, and his eyes went uncomfortably wide—his heart stopped right in his chest.

"Yo."

Kakashi was clearly at home.

Iruka could only _stare_. Sprawled on his black satin sheets, propped on a dozen matching pillows, Kakashi's naked body was the most erotic art Iruka had ever laid eyes upon. Forming hand seals, Kakashi whispered something Iruka didn't quite catch and six candles were suddenly lit on the two end tables, casting a mellow and sultry glow across the whole room.

Iruka's hungry eyes roved over the many, many inches of deliciously bare skin spread before him, perfect alabaster cream cradled by the rich texture of the bedding. Kakashi stretched like a jungle cat in a puddle of golden light, fully aware of his effect on the younger man, and shamelessly putting on a show for him. He flexed his lean muscled body this way and that, an open invitation to Iruka, who stood for the moment transfixed, unmoving.

Only when Iruka's salivating threatened to literally become drool was he able to shake himself free of the reverie and approach the foot of the bed, ever cautious. He tried to speak, but he couldn't get any words choked out past the lust coursing steadily through his body from the sight of his lover. He watched Kakashi grin in his maddening, egotistical way, clearly proud of himself.

What was it with genius perverts anyways?

Kakashi scooted down to the edge of the bed, all grace and power, and Iruka moved closer, entranced, until Kakashi's thighs and hands trapped him against the bed frame. He looked down into the other man's blue eye, melting as strong hands moved up his hips and chest to push off his Chuunin flak jacket. Iruka let his desire show in his eyes as the other man slowly peeled the clothing from his upper body; he heard an answering growl.

The next thing he knew Kakashi had tossed him onto the bed, his naked back cradled into the cool satin sheets while Kakashi's teeth tugged on the zipper of his pants. Iruka took a deep breath, trying not to pass out from the combination of pent up lust and visual overload.

After sliding the zipper down over the growing bulge, Kakashi slid his hands under Iruka's ass, squeezing, and then pulling the clothing off to expose every inch of Iruka's skin to the cool night air. Iruka almost wished for the comfort of the mask that Kakashi usually wore, wanting some protection from the onslaught of Kakashi's power, but he knew that nothing could ever save him from the total addiction he had for Hatake Kakashi.

Iruka sighed in bliss, closing his eyes as Kakashi's hands slid down his toned legs, and then watching again as Kakashi seductively crawled up his body, and very gently touched his nose to his. Kakashi grinned down at him, and Iruka was overcome with true feelings for the man, moving the small distance to press their lips together in a sweet kiss.

"Hello." Iruka said simply. Kakashi laughed, and adjusted his body to curl alongside Iruka's, his long fingers exploring Iruka's chest, bringing goose bumps to the tanned skin.

"You came earlier than usual, so I was inspired to greet you."

Kakashi bent his head, and Iruka kissed him again, slipping his tongue past Kakashi's lips and tasting as much of him as he could. Iruka curled an arm around Kakashi's neck, hand stroking into the silky silver hair, letting his other hand slide along Kakashi's smooth skin and hard muscles to curve over a perfect butt cheek. Iruka moaned in the kiss, the rest of his body moving instinctually towards Kakashi's warm, naked skin, reveling in contrast between him and the cool satin sheets.

"As to be expected from Copy-Ninja Kakashi," Iruka whispered and shifted himself onto Kakashi, using mouth and hands to explore the Jounin's upper body.

If the man wanted to present himself like a sinful dessert, then Iruka would just have to devour him.

Kakashi whimpered when Iruka's teeth grazed his nipple, and Iruka slid his thighs between the Jounin's to press their erections together. Kakashi moaned, and Iruka had a mental flash of Naruto and Sasuke, and then another flash of the first time he and Kakashi had made love, each sensation new and thrilling, and a little scary. The memories made Iruka's groin twitch, and he continued to rub back and forth against his lover, lost in the sensations. He bit his lip to keep from moaning, but then moaned anyway from the look of pure lust mirrored on Kakashi's face.

Iruka flicked his tongue over Kakashi's taut nipples, and then kissed and licked his way down his hard chest, his lips caressing the familiar cartography of scars, evidence from Kakashi's survival of many dangerous missions. His teeth nipped at a hipbone, causing a mild spasm from his lover who was already breathing harder. Iruka dragged his hot tongue down and across the sensitive skin of Kakashi's abdomen, watching his lover as he moved to his very hard erection.

If people only knew how gorgeous Kakashi's cock was, so long and thick and blushing pink, they wouldn't be half so curious about what was under his mask. Iruka purred, running his tongue up that impossibly beautiful shaft, swirling around the sensitive tip and then swallowing it down his throat in one gulp.

Kakashi cried out, hips bucking from the intense suction of Iruka's mouth and throat, and Iruka growled in response to his lover's pleasure. '_Dear god_', Iruka thought, '_You must love me more than I deserve to have blessed me with this man_'. Iruka moved skilled lips and tongue up and down Kakashi's swollen cock until Kakashi whimpered and writhed in sweet agony.

Familiar enough with Kakashi's desires, Iruka slid his hand up Kakashi's body and touched his lips with his fingers. Kakashi immediately opened his mouth and began to suck and lick Iruka's first two fingers, swallowing them down and mirroring what Iruka was doing to him. Iruka moaned, loving the feel of Kakashi's mouth and tongue, his blood pulled into his fingertips to make them more sensitive than normal.

When Kakashi had them nice and slick, Iruka slowly withdrew his lips from Kakashi's groin, knowing all too well how quickly he could bring the Jounin to release if he were to continue. Shifting back on his knees, he raised one of Kakashi's legs and curled it over his shoulder, stroking his erection with his hand in place of his lips, and moving his slick fingers to his lover's tight entrance.

"_Iruka_…." Kakashi whispered, the passion plain on his face. Iruka slowly pushed a finger in, hearing his lover gasp in pleasure as it curved inside the tight channel. Kakashi rocked his hips towards Iruka's fingers, asking for more, and so the second finger joined the first, stretching and preparing the way with Kakashi's soft moans in the background.

Iruka's cock was rigid and swollen, more than ready to plunge into Kakashi, but Iruka knew his saliva wouldn't be enough for what they both wanted without Kakashi hurting unnecessarily in the morning. He let go of Kakashi's erection and reached over the side of the bed to grab at Kakashi's flak jacket. He quickly found the bottle of lube he knew was in one of the pockets, and he glanced over at his lover and winked.

The pervert had started carrying it with him after they'd first started having sex, and he absolutely loved to tease Iruka in public by patting his jacket and leering at him when no one else was looking. _Honestly_.

Opening it one handed, Iruka slicked his own cock, and then returned to stroking Kakashi's as he angled his fingers inside him in preparation for something bigger and more satisfying. He found the spot he'd been looking for and rubbed it gently, making Kakashi cry out and arch against the bed in pleasure.

Iruka grinned. He loved this. He loved _him_. For it was he—plain ol' Umino Iruka—who was making the famous, unbeatable Copy-ninja squirm from pleasure. Winning this man's complete trust had been one of the most rewarding parts of his life.

Kakashi's blue eye looked at him, pleading, and his strong hands reached out to grab Iruka's hips as he begged for more. "Ru-ru….."

Iruka's heart fluttered at the pet name, and he withdrew his fingers slowly from his lover. He positioned the tip of his cock at the moistened entrance and gently pushed forward, allowing Kakashi to take him in at his own pace until he was fully sheathed inside his lover's panting body. Iruka closed his eyes, the sensation of Kakashi so tight around him nearly driving him over the edge, and he leaned forward so that they could kiss.

Kakashi's mouth ate at his, and he arched his hips to grind against Iruka's. This time Iruka cried out from the pleasure, breaking the kiss and drowning in his lover's blue eye. Kakashi reached up to his hitai-ate and pulled it off so that now both his eyes could gaze into Iruka's. Then Iruka felt his strong pale hands move up his jaw and into his hair, snapping the tie and loosing the chocolate brown strands around his face and shoulders in a rippling sea of silky brown.

Kissing him one more time, Kakashi's face was serious as he said one word: "_NOW_."

Iruka didn't need to be asked twice. Or had he been commanded? He didn't care—all that mattered was being joined to his lover. Kakashi's eyes locked with his, and he moaned in pleasure from their lovemaking, sending thrills down Iruka's spine.

Iruka could feel their pleasure building, his abdomen tightening more and more with each powerful thrust, but it was when Kakashi's hands twisted themselves into the black satin sheets and his hips began to buck in-between the hardness of Iruka's cock and the deftness of his hand did Iruka think he might really lose it. All at once, Kakashi cried out and came, hot liquid spurting over his stomach and Iruka's hand. The sight was too much for the Chuunin, and he cried out the Jounin's name as he thrust one last time and climaxed inside his lover, shuddering and gasping in sweet spasms.

Kakashi looked up at him, his face blissful in the afterglow, his body spent and sprawled in the center of his bed. With his heartbeat still pounding in his ears, Iruka gently withdrew himself and moved to lie beside the older man. He propped himself on an elbow so that he could see Kakashi's reaction when he brought his semen covered hand up to his mouth, and very seductively started to lick himself clean.

He got his hand halfway done before Kakashi growled and grabbed it away from him, licking the rest and then crushing his lips against Iruka's. Iruka opened his mouth and returned his passionate kisses, his brain only able to process the nigh unbearable pleasure of Kakashi's naked body against his.

After an interlude, Kakashi rested his weight on his elbows and looked into the Chuunin's eyes, smiling at him. Iruka smiled back, reaching up to tuck a lock of silver hair behind a perfect ear, feeling happier than he'd ever been. Probably ever. He should have known when Kakashi's happy smile turned into a lecherous grin that he was in for trouble.

"Iruka," his lover asked sweetly, rocking his hardening cock into Iruka's thigh.

Iruka blushed and smiled, unable to hide the depth of his love. "Hmm?"

"Was that a new version of sexy-no-jutsu just now?"

Iruka smacked him with a pillow right in the face, since Kakashi was too busy laughing to block it. Soon pillows were flying everywhere and they were both laughing until they couldn't laugh anymore. Iruka was glad for Kakashi's sake that none of the candles had interfered in the play battle.

In the end, Iruka conceded. He flopped sideways across the bed, his long brown hair flung every which way, his lean body naked and glowing from sexual satisfaction and flirtatious games. He hated to admit it, but he was grinning even though he didn't want to—Kakashi had that effect on him. Although… it was a damn good thing that Iruka had a sense of humor, or there would be one less Jounin in Konoha.

Kakashi crawled over to him, and kissed him on the forehead, then on the nose, then lingered on his lips.

"Actually," he whispered, nibbling Iruka's bottom lip, "I don't think it's possible for you to be any sexier than you are right now."

And fool or not, Iruka took one look into those mismatched eyes brimming over with lust and love, and believed him.

* * *

[to be continued...]


	3. Chapter 3

**

* * *

**

**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 3:

* * *

Something was biting him. No, stinging him. No…what the _hell_ was it?

Lying on his back, Kakashi opened his blue eye and winced at the early morning sunlight shining across his body. He turned his head away from the window and in the direction of the annoyance, and saw a certain Chuunin hovered over him, hair tied up and body fully clothed—two of Kakashi's least favorite things. Lightning fast, his left arm shot across his body and caught Iruka's hand before it could poke him one more time.

Iruka sighed a sigh of disapproval, bending down to place a gentle kiss on his lips, but Kakashi grabbed the other man and pulled him to the bed, rolling over and trapping him beneath his naked body.

"Kakash—" Iruka tried to scold him, but Kakashi was having none of it, pressing their lips together and kissing him with fervor. Feeling the Chuunin's arms slide up around his back, Kakashi trailed his kisses down Iruka's jaw to his highly sensitive neck and shoulder. Iruka turned his head to give him better access, sighing in acquiescence this time, and Kakashi chuckled at how easily the man had given in to his choice of distractions.

He shouldn't have chuckled out loud.

"Kakashi!" Iruka shouted exasperated, trying to push the Jounin away, "I have to go to the Academy!"

Kakashi grinned without apology. It was too much fun to harass his lover. He kissed him one more time, then rolled back over and let him get up.

Iruka jumped off the bed and pointed at him, "And YOU have to…" Iruka stopped, confused.

Kakashi laughed heartily, shaking his head, "Nope. I _have_ to do nothing!" He grinned. "I'm on vacation until Sakura returns from her internship."

Iruka dropped his arm, clearly disappointed that he didn't have to goad Kakashi into meeting his team at least _close_ to when they were supposed to meet. "Oh."

Kakashi sat up on his elbows, his expression leering at the other man. "Yes, '_Oh_,' meaning you and I can have breakfast together, and lunch together, and dinner together, and dessert together, and after dinner together, and midnight snack together, and late night bath together, and early morning nibbles together…"

He trailed off, seeing as how he'd successfully caused Iruka to turn completely and utterly red from his words, without having to demonstrate anything with his hands. Iruka crossed his arms, fighting not to smile while blushing in that loveable, deceptively innocent way, and Kakashi grinned even bigger. The Chuunin was totally smitten with him. He wiggled his ass against the sheets with glee.

Iruka waved his comments aside, and leaned over to his dresser, beginning to pack his school things into his knapsack. "So what are you doing today then, Kakashi?"

Kakashi thought about it. "Dunno," he shrugged. Iruka bit his lip, and then swung his knapsack over his shoulder and came back towards the bed.

"Why don't you go see Sasuke?" Iruka suggested. Kakashi's eyes narrowed a fraction.

His lover had said it calmly enough, and it was a reasonable idea…but he wasn't a Jounin for nothing. He could tell that Iruka was concerned about something and was clearly trying to hide it; taking slightly too-deep breaths and tensing in his effort to appear relaxed and to reveal nothing. It was very curious. The words almost sounded like a _request_ instead of a suggestion…and Iruka seldom asked anything of him. Must be something he thought he couldn't do on his own.

Kakashi chose to shrug casually. "Maybe. We haven't trained together in a while; might be fun." Iruka appeared relieved.

"Well, I wouldn't want you to get bored on your vacation, mister elite-ninja-smartey-pants," the Chuunin smiled, and crawled over to kiss him.

Kakashi kissed him back, but didn't try any more games, knowing he'd reached the limits of Iruka's patience that morning. He watched Iruka's lovely ass—a sight he never got tired of—as he turned to leave the bedroom.

At the doorway, Iruka stopped and looked over his shoulder, "Oh, I have a staff meeting today at lunch, so if you're thinking of any of your pranks, you better wait until after school or the whole village will know just how _big_ of a pervert you are!"

And then Iruka _winked_, and left the apartment the way he'd come in, sneaking back to his side of town.

Kakashi settled himself cozily in his bed, a lazy smile on his face, and a grinning Iruka in his thoughts. He pulled the tangled sheets up to his face and buried his nose in it, reveling in the mixed scents of a familiar naked body and the unmistakable musk of great sex. It was going to be a good day.

* * *

Kakashi allowed himself ten minutes of perverted thoughts with his face pressed into his bedding before reluctantly getting out of bed.

He stretched and yawned, closing his eye to the early morning light and then disappeared. Four minutes later, exactly, Kakashi reappeared at his front door, clean, fed and dressed, his black mask hiding the lower half of his face, and his forehead protector angled to hide his Sharingan. He hadn't even broken a sweat. He slipped his sandals on, and then exited his apartment, speeding off again faster than most eyes could follow.

As he darted across the village to his intended destination, he pondered Iruka and what he'd decided to call: "The curious incident of the seemingly casual suggestion that clearly covered up some other more intriguing mystery event that would hereby be fully uncovered before lunchtime."

Well, the first step in sleuthing—as any good shinobi knew—was _reconnaissance_. Beneath the mask, Kakashi's lips curved in a wicked smile of anticipation—it really was going to be a good day.

The Jounin made his way to the affluent Uchiha district, and stopped without a sound in the shadows of the giant, arched gateway. He strained his ears, listening for any signs of Sasuke coming or going, and heard nothing. He slowly made his way between the empty houses at the perimeter, skulking from shadow to shadow toward the manor house Sasuke had chosen to live in.

It was several stories tall, sandwiched between the maze of other houses and the wide lake. It was a strategically sound location; Kakashi knew his student to be logical and calculating about everything he did. It was one of his strengths, and one of the things they had in common, although Sasuke was far more serious and reserved than he was. Kakashi glanced heavenward in a brief prayer of thanks that he'd somehow learned to lighten up.

When he reached the wide open courtyard at the front of the house he vanished, and then reappeared in a crouch near Sasuke's front door. He masked his chakra like he had the night before, and after making some quick hand seals he cast out a thin, virtually undetectable flare of chakra into the house, scouting for the presence of his surly subordinate. If he wasn't inside, then Kakashi would search the grounds beyond the lake to see where he was training, and would then join in.

The chakra slowly extended up to the third floor until he felt a soft pulse, signaling that it had detected a live person. Kakashi drew his brows together—the pulse should have been much, much stronger for someone like Uchiha Sasuke. Either someone else was in the house… or something was definitely wrong with the former number-one rookie. Kakashi decided to take the faster way in.

Gathering chakra in his feet, he sprinted up the side of the manor house to the third floor, gracefully dismounting on the wooden balcony that stretched around all four sides. He sprinted in stealth around to the back of the house, following his chakra thread. He examined the wall and sensed an empty room on the other side, not too far from Sasuke's presence.

Kakashi squeezed through the small window, dropping down in a crouch in a luxurious master bathroom. He could guess that the single door must open into Sasuke's bedroom. He pressed his ear to the wood, hearing nothing, although he recognized Sasuke's presence on the other side. Lifting his hitai-ate, he silently cracked the door and scanned the room with both eyes.

Sasuke's bedroom was large and airy, taking up nearly the entire third floor of the house. It would also have been sunny, except for the heavy drapes that had been pulled across the windows, navy blue panels with giant Uchiha fans woven in the center. The lighter white and red fibers allowed some light to pass into the room, but not much. The bed was nearly as big as Kakashi's, and while Kakashi's favorite activities could make it feel too small at times, Sasuke seemed to be dwarfed by his.

He was buried under several thick, blue blankets, his knees pulled up to his chest, and his head and face covered protectively by one of the many red pillows. Sasuke had left a small triangle of open space for breathing, and Kakashi could make out the thick black lashes of his closed right eye, a pale white cheekbone and the bridge of his nose. It was the one, tiny detail that confirmed the boy was there, otherwise, the lumps of his body could have easily been a tangled bundle of bedding.

Kakashi sensed the steady, slow breathing typical of sleep, but the chakra signature seemed much too weak for a teenager simply taking advantage of a vacation and sleeping in. He examined the rest of the room, eyes passing over an expensively carved armoire, matching antique bookcases and end tables, a minimalist yet trendy red sofa under a trio of windows, books and scrolls lined up in an orderly fashion on every available shelf, a huge, gilded mirror in one corner, and a cabinet with weapons gleaming inside.

Seeing no visible wounds on his student, and no evidence of bandaging or blood anywhere in either the bedroom or bathroom, Kakashi turned back to the sleeping teen and watched in silence while he debated his next actions. There didn't seem to be any danger, but he didn't like the feeling of the room, or the tightening of his gut that said Sasuke indeed needed rescuing.

But from what enemy? And what did _Iruka_ have to do with it? It wasn't adding up.

He knew one thing for sure: Sasuke would _not_ appreciate waking up and finding his sensei crouched behind his bathroom door.

Kakashi quickly devised a strategy. Covering his Sharingan and retracing his steps, the Jounin returned to ground level and stood facing the front door. Although it was extremely out of character for a ninja, and in fact, something he'd personally never done before, _anywhere_, Kakashi extended an index finger and pressed the doorbell.

He stood patiently, sensing from the flare of chakra that he'd successfully awoken Sasuke. After a few minutes, however, he realized that it wouldn't be so easy to get him to open the door. Kakashi rang the doorbell again, this time holding it longer, and waited, with no response from inside the house. He sighed, taking out his favorite orange novel, and prepared for a lengthy siege. In his usual carefree stance, eyes glued to the pages before him, he proceeded to ring the doorbell every three seconds.

He sensed when Sasuke peered over the balcony at him, but ignored the heavy sensation of murderous intent pressing down to the top of his head. Reflexes alert as usual, Kakashi easily caught the kunai that had been aimed at his neck with enough time to read the hastily scrawled message, "GO AWAY," before the note began to smoke. Kakashi flung the kunai over the courtyard wall, avoiding the ensuing explosion, his eyes never leaving the pages.

He rang the doorbell again.

There was no mistaking the murderous intent now, and it pulsed against Kakashi's skin as it moved through the house and approached the door. Kakashi put his book away just as the door opened two inches, and Sasuke's right eye appeared, glaring through the crack.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke said, voice scratchy and thick from sleep. A tangled lock of black hair slipped forward against his cheek and he shook it back out of sight.

"Yo." Kakashi gave his most innocent smile, waving his signature wave.

"This is not a good time," Sasuke didn't bother to mask his irritation, and continued to glare.

Kakashi waved him away jovially, "Never mind, it's perfect timing. For practicing chidori." Kakashi heard the teen grunt from behind the door, and saw his black eye narrow even further.

"_No_."

Any polite person would have heard that tone and excused themselves. Any other sensei would have let it go, and returned later to try and cheer him up. Anyone else would have let Sasuke close the door in his face, and chalked it up to teenage hormones, or simply "the arrogance of Uchiha Sasuke."

Alas, Kakashi was not just anyone.

The elite Jounin stuck his hand out, pushed the door open and marched into the house without one glance at his indignant student. Completely ignoring Sasuke, he took off his sandals in the doorway, glanced back and forth in search of the kitchen, and then hurried to the right.

"Okay, we'll have some tea first. I'll get it!" he called over his shoulder from the kitchen, opening cupboards looking for tea and mugs. He set the kettle on to boil, busying himself while Sasuke collected his thoughts—or tried to kill him. Whichever came first.

He felt Sasuke approach the kitchen doorway, leaning his back against the doorjamb with his arms crossed, glaring straight ahead at the opposite wall in disapproval. Kakashi looked at Sasuke's regal profile, and didn't much care for what he saw.

Sasuke's eye was puffy and dark, as if he had tossed and turned most of the night, deprived of sleep. His skin was so blanched it looked translucent, and there was a tinge of green like he was catching a cold. His long-sleeved black shirt was loose and wrinkled and too big, making his lean body seem small and frail. Pathetic. His arms hugged his chest tightly, and his shoulders hunched, ruining the pose of disdain he was famous for.

He looked like _shit_.

At least from _this_ side—and Kakashi decided one side was enough.

Kakashi poured the hot beverage into two mugs, and set them on a tray. "Shall we sit over there?" He gestured with the tray to the low table and cushions in the room across from the kitchen and stepped forward, indicating that his student should move from the doorway.

"You're not staying." Sasuke reached his arm out and took one of the mugs, never turning his face. He blew softly on the surface and took a tiny sip, his right eye shifting to glare at his teacher with loathing.

Kakashi set the tray down on the counter instead, and leaned his hip against the edge, position casual. He picked up the other mug, watching Sasuke and letting the silence stretch between them. Sasuke made no attempts at conversation, which was no real surprise. He stood there defiantly, using a lot of energy trying not to appear as rattled as he was. Kakashi was mildly disappointed when his prize pupil didn't even attempt to catch him without his mask as he drank a few sips.

The minutes stretched on, Sasuke sipping his tea, and looking no visibly better for it. Kakashi just enjoyed the feel of the mug slowly cooling off between his palms, not bothering to drink any more since Sasuke wasn't bothering to peek. The teenager spoke first.

"_What do you want_?" Sasuke's tight voice held a myriad of emotions—anger, despair, frustration and… hope? What was that last flavor?

"Well let's see," Kakashi began, setting his mug down and crossing his arms. "We don't have missions for a while, so I thought you'd be excited to train with me one-on-one." He paused. "You're not acting like yourself, Sasuke."

Kakashi turned and gazed out the kitchen window overlooking the courtyard at the front of the house, watching the dark teen through his peripheral vision. He gave Sasuke a chance to respond.

Sasuke sipped his tea, stuffing his left hand into his pocket, and lowering his eyes to the floor. His voice made an effort to be polite, "I don't want to train today."

Kakashi stole a quick glance at his student. He sulked, finally managing to appear somewhat pitiful–though he was really too good looking even in this state to do the word justice.

"Do you—" Kakashi started, but was cut off by Sasuke's impassioned voice.

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK!"

Kakashi considered his options, the atmosphere taut between them once again. After a few moments, he straightened up, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck and shrugging. He faced Sasuke's profile.

"Ah. Then I guess I'll just go find Naruto. He's been begging to learn chidori for years, and he's got enough chakra control now he might actually–" Kakashi's voice hitched in his throat.

Sasuke had reacted to the taunt by whipping his head around, his refined features twisted in raw emotions and his black eyes glistening with the threat of tears. He opened his mouth, as if to object, but no sounds came out. Kakashi's heart squeezed tight at the full force of Sasuke's anger and pain, but what really shook him was the ugly bruise that ruined the left half of his student's face.

Kakashi realized a second too late that his own face must have betrayed his shock, even with the mask, for Sasuke's eyes grew large in fear, and then the teen bolted towards the front door, flinging his half-full tea mug at him.

Kakashi deftly avoided the tea and caught the mug in mid-air, then in three steps had grabbed his student's left arm and halted his escape. Sasuke twisted his arm out of his sleeve and ducked, bracing with his right arm and kicking out at the Jounin's legs. Kakashi lifted his knees up to his chest in a swift jump to avoid it, and then pulled up sharply on the shirt sleeve gripped tight in his hand.

He jerked Sasuke up from the floor, quickly twisting the slack material of the shirt to bind his arms to his sides, all with his one free hand. Without pause, he dragged the boy over to the sunny living room, Sasuke's feet dancing over the tatami mats in an effort to remain upright for pride's sake.

Kakashi shoved him down onto a cushion where he could look over the damaged cheek. Sasuke squirmed at first, but then quieted down, seething and annoyed. Kakashi placed the empty tea mug onto the table, pinning his student with a glare.

He turned Sasuke's chin up into the light, and examined his face. He gently pressed his fingertips to the swollen skin, making Sasuke hiss and wince, the only sounds made as Kakashi evaluated the injury. He spoke clinically as a way of comforting the younger shinobi, keeping his voice even and sure as he explained what he saw.

"The impact is here, at your cheekbone, where the skin is the most swollen and the bruising is the darkest, though the force of the blow was strong enough for it to extend up around your eye, and down along your jaw. The skin hasn't split, so it wasn't made from anything as hard as a club or a staff, and the area of bruising is too large for something like a blunt sword hilt. I'd guess it was a human fist based on the patterns of discoloration, and the side of your face that's injured. Most people are right handed, so a punch from a right handed person would be on your left cheek. It's a miracle, but you have no broken bones. Does it hurt to eat?" he asked.

He frowned as Sasuke just shrugged.

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday. Sunset." Sasuke was looking up into the ceiling, his face remade into the usual mask of calm except for the odd angle of his chin and neck as Kakashi continued examining him.

"When was the last time you ate, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke shrugged again. "Maybe noon," he stated, eyes narrowing in expectation of criticism. Kakashi regarded him coolly, making mental calculations.

"This might feel a bit uncomfortable," Kakashi warned, shifting his left hand and wrist to cradle the uninjured side of Sasuke's face.

Kakashi's right hand moved through one handed seals he'd never shown his student before, and then he hovered his palm just above the wounded skin. His hand shone brilliant white, and Sasuke flinched from the scorching heat, perhaps reminded of the deadly chidori until Kakashi touched the boy's face. Sasuke relaxed as the initial heat of the touch faded to soothing, pulsing, healing warmth.

Kakashi monitored closely as the tension left his student's body, and when he was satisfied he slowly withdrew his chakra and ended the jutsu. He moved his hands to Sasuke's shirtsleeves and released him. Sasuke slipped his left arm back into the wrinkled sleeve and put a tentative palm up to his injured face.

"That jutsu is only for pain relief, unfortunately," Kakashi smiled, sheepish. "I never bothered to learn much healing ninjutsu."

Sasuke was still touching light fingertips to his cheek and opening his jaw, experimenting. "Thanks," he said quietly, still not meeting his eyes. Kakashi nodded.

"Next, you need to eat something." The Jounin left his student on the floor, made his way back into the kitchen, and peered into the refrigerator—only to sigh in disgust.

"Sasuke? There's nothing edible in here!" He called across the house.

"Freezer," came the reply.

Kakashi sighed and opened the freezer, his eyebrows rising at the sight of all the identical take-out containers crammed in there.

"What the hell is all _this_?" he called back out.

"Curry," Sasuke replied, no further explanation forthcoming.

"Ah." Kakashi sighed, took two containers out of the freezer, and set them on the counter. He quickly found the rice cooker and set about making lunch, and while his capable hands busied themselves in simple tasks, his mind churned through the events of the morning.

He glanced at the kitchen clock. 9:30 am. Good. He could probably have this whole mystery solved by lunchtime, like he'd intended. Boiling more water for tea, he hummed tunelessly as he organized the facts in his mind. But of the pieces he'd gathered, there was one that just wasn't connecting to any others:

_How was Iruka involved?_

* * *

Kakashi and Sasuke sat opposite each other at the low table, eating curry and reading books.

Sasuke had opened his ANBU manual, and Kakashi had his nose buried in his Icha-Icha Paradisu novel. Neither of them spoke. Kakashi occasionally looked over at the young man, who was eating without discomfort and appeared genuinely lost in his studies. He hadn't tried to escape, and he hadn't tried to throw him out—_yet_. Things were looking up. Sasuke's color had even gotten better once some food got into his system; Kakashi reminded himself to talk to him later about varying his diet.

Sasuke's chopsticks had been lying untouched on his empty dishes for ten minutes before Kakashi felt it was time to get some answers.

"So who did it?"

Sasuke's shoulders tightened in a cringe. He sighed, forcing his shoulders straight, putting an elbow on the edge of the table and trying to look bored.

"Don't ask me questions." He folded his book away.

"So you did it to yourself?" Kakashi prodded, sarcastic.

Sasuke glared, black eyes flashing in annoyance.

"Someone attacked you?" he asked.

Sasuke simply crossed his arms in rebellion, using too much energy to try and keep his face from revealing anything. It was divided almost in half, the bruised skin swirling over the creamy pale skin in a contrasting yin-yang, although both halves radiated anger, frustration and embarrassment equally, no matter the inner struggle.

Kakashi's gaze never wavered, his blue eye challenging his student to give him an explanation and also warning him not to lie. Sasuke was a strong ninja, but anyone could see that he was in no condition to battle wills with a Jounin. The wound was serious, but not enough to result in the Sasuke sitting before him—there was something far deeper going on, and he'd find out what it was.

After all, he specialized in delving underneath the underneath.

Eventually, Sasuke shifted on his cushion, the anger in his face giving way to something like confusion and sadness, or resignation. "It's nothing."

"Oh?" Kakashi questioned, gentle, but still sarcastic.

Sasuke ran a hand through his mussed hair, pushing it out of his eyes. He didn't move for a while, lost in thought, his eyebrows drawn together in a scowl. Then he sighed, his face anguished as he leaned forward and buried his nose into his elbow, something altogether un-Sasuke like.

His small voice was muffled, "I made a mistake."

Kakashi quickly hid his shock—to his knowledge, Sasuke had _never_ admitted he'd made a mistake. He'd never had to. Kakashi knew—they were _tensai_; they didn't make mistakes. Sasuke was methodical, clever, and extremely skilled at strategy and tactics. There's no way a ninja in Konoha could have fought him and not only landed a critical blow, but also damage his spirit like this. Sasuke was a _mess_. It was like his heart was broken—

_No way_! Kakashi's eye opened impossibly wide. His thoughts whirled, and he was grateful that Sasuke couldn't see his face at the moment. He couldn't be right, could he? Had Sasuke initiated something romantic and been rebuffed?

The idea was logical, except that it was _Sasuke_ they were talking about, the long-standing _#1 Stud_ among shinobi teens. Kakashi had always had to put up with the squealing fangirls who regularly interrupted Team Seven's practices. Every one of them would kill for attention from the Uchiha heir; he would never be rejected from any of _them_. He knew Sasuke avoided them as often as possible. So had he found a girl he liked?

Kakashi considered the bruises. The injury was a bit too much for a girl to have caused it. Well, not for Sakura maybe, but she was in Suna at present. She had always followed Sasuke around like a protective sibling; Kakashi couldn't picture her ever hitting him.

He also couldn't imagine Sasuke chasing Sakura in the first place; he'd never responded to her affection before, at least not beyond reciprocating her friendship. Really, Kakashi couldn't remember a single girl in the village that Sasuke had ever paid special attention to. He kept to himself when he wasn't on missions or using his free time to spar with the other guys…

Kakashi smacked his forehead loudly, rolling his eyes at his slow wits. Duh! It must have been a guy!

Sasuke lifted his head and looked at him, no doubt curious at the noise. Less than a second had passed since his student had last spoken, and Kakashi flushed, unnaturally embarrassed from direction his thoughts had taken. _Sasuke was gay_? Small world. He rubbed his hitai-ate where he'd struck himself.

"Sorry," he chuckled nervously, "Mosquito."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, and ran a hand over his unkempt hair again, then crossed his arms and returned to brooding.

Kakashi regarded him and composed himself, brain still analyzing the possibilities. He had never seen Sasuke like this, and he never wanted to see it again. He didn't know what had happened, exactly, but there had to be a way to fix it–he hated when people precious to him were suffering, and this particular student held a special place in his heart: both of them were orphans, both of them tensai, both of them carried the mysterious red Sharingan. He had to do something.

"I'd like to help," he said, the offer genuine.

Sasuke shrugged, scowling, "Tch. Doesn't matter. It's in the past."

"My skills aren't only lethal ones, you know," the Jounin pointed out. "If I knew what the situation was, I bet I could help."

Sasuke shook his head, unconvinced. "Not with this."

"Hn." Kakashi sat casually, the very image of calm.

If he guessed correctly, Sasuke was battling himself—part of him desperately needing to talk about whatever had happened, and the other part of him too scared, hurt and embarrassed to share it with another person. And if he was correct about the nature of what happened yesterday… well, he could remember his own disastrous forays at that age.

Sasuke was very private, but Kakashi knew that underneath his cool Uchiha exterior ran not only a strong desire to be accepted and acknowledged, but also to protect. He was fiercely loyal to his friends, even if he only had a select few. Kakashi felt proud that Sasuke considered him a friend as well as a mentor.

He reached out one more time, "Tell me."

Sasuke sighed, turning his head away completely. "I…don't think I can." His right cheek flushed from his distress.

"Hmmm." Kakashi sympathized, adjusting his position on the cushion. He'd just have to give him some time, until Sasuke was ready to get some help. Expecting a long wait, Kakashi was startled when the teen spoke.

"But maybe … I could _show_ you," Sasuke said quietly, face still averted.

Kakashi blinked at him. Show him? Show him …_what_?

Kakashi blushed, frozen, schooling his mind away from perverted thoughts. Did Sasuke mean that he'd demonstrate what had happened… with _him_? Kakashi could honestly admit that he'd never once looked at Sasuke as other than student and friend, and he'd never once thought that maybe Sasuke might look at him as anything more than a mentor. He probably should have guessed that one day this could happen, since he tended to have that kind of effect on others.

He took a deep breath, "_Pardon_?"

"I've…I've been thinking about this for a long time…" Sasuke trailed off for a moment, clasping his hands in front of him on the table and fixing his gaze to them. Kakashi held his breath.

Sasuke cleared his throat, "I really think it could work."

Kakashi blinked faster. Hell, what should he say if Sasuke actually confessed?! What would _Iruka_ say? He laughed in his nervousness, "What could work?"

"The Sharingan." Sasuke looked up at him, his face calm. Kakashi checked his right cheek—not a hint of blushing.

"Sha…rin…gan?" Kakashi asked, voice a little too loud as he was utterly confused.

Sasuke nodded, "I've been wanting to see if I'm right about something the Sharingan can do."

Kakashi gestured for him to continue, since he was at a loss, and Sasuke explained his theory. His voice became steadier with the undercurrent of excitement; Sasuke always got like this when they were analyzing jutsus or planning a strategy. His bright eyes shone, and his wounded face was forgotten as he opened the topic.

"The Sharingan aids in the detection of genjutsus… but it also can project them. So what if I projected a specific memory through my Sharingan–" he began.

"–And I copied it with mine," Kakashi finished, leaning forward in interest. "If it worked, we'd have a highly useful way of communicating on missions. Silent. Possibly instant. Unique to the two of us. Very good, Sasuke."

He beamed at his student. Sasuke's mouth quirked at one side, his version of a pleased smile.

"Let's try it," the Jounin suggested, moving around to Sasuke's side of the table and sitting cross-legged. "We'll go slowly."

Sasuke turned to mirror him, his face almost blank, but his eyebrows were drawn tight. He held up his hand, "Wait." The teen swallowed, "I…it's not… well… it might…just…"

Kakashi smiled gently, "Don't worry, Sasuke-kun. You won't be telling me anything I can repeat."

Sasuke took a deep breath, his face serious. "Just …don't be _perverted_." He said this with a glare that was so intense that Kakashi didn't even consider laughing.

Sasuke's eyes changed from deep black to blood red. When he moved forward, Kakashi reached up to his headband and revealed his Sharingan. They leaned towards each other, their twin Sharingans a few inches apart.

"Ready," Kakashi said.

Sasuke took another deep breath, closing his eyelids momentarily. When he opened them, Kakashi's mind was suddenly merged into his student's memory, a wave of nausea rising in his stomach. He didn't have a chance to be excited that the jutsu was working, for his brain was instantly flooded with imagery being transmitted from Sasuke of the previous day.

It came slightly jumbled, and the timing jerked in patches, but Kakashi lived it all through Sasuke's eyes as if it were his own experiences, only on fast-forward. Neither of them could have guessed, however, that Kakashi would _feel_ everything Sasuke felt in the process…

_He was in the shadow of a tall tree… Konoha forest… looking at water… the river… He saw someone training… wild blond hair… holding chakra… Naruto… He felt… He felt excited… he watched the other's body… sweating… tense with effort…the chakra growing and condensing…the Kyuubi seal… his breath quickened… Naruto… so beautiful…SHOCK!… kunai… Naruto was yelling… He walked out into the sun…He spoke…Naruto stretched… his guts clenched in yearning…He took off his shirt… his bare feet in the damp earth…they were fighting!… his body moved so fast…it went too long…muscles tiring… too much… his blood pounded in his ears… He tackled Naruto… Naruto was struggling…whoa!… ripples of pleasure …tummy…He bent his neck, looking…his body tingled…He saw… Kyuubi seal… black, elegant…his heart palpitated… He wanted to kiss it… wanted to feel him…He licked the markings…pleasure!… He tasted the skin…his heart beat faster… his groin ached with need…so hungry… He nibbled at the center… Naruto…so warm… so tasty… He looked up…Naruto's eyes… so blue, so hungry… like him… he was going mad…Shock!… Naruto moved… on top of him… so hot… He wanted more… Naruto touching… hand in his hair… gripping…so good… Naruto's hips… grinding… Ah! Yes!…He gasped…Naruto!… Naruto's eyes…cold…scared…He froze… He was blind… stars… skin on fire…Naruto running… gone… no… still hard… still want him…still want…still need… He was inside a room… shadows… dark…so aroused… not alone…He opened his eyes… his heart tightened…He loved him!… adorable man…lust…bodies entwined… so close…so deep inside him… so good… brown hair… He reached up… it fell loose in his hands…He kissed him… He felt his tongue… his body craved more… He pleaded… Iruka!… his lover thrust… pleasure!…He couldn't stand it… thrusting… hand on his cock… so good… harder… harder… faster… yes!… YES!… YEEESSSS!  
_

Kakashi's stomach lurched as he snapped their connection abruptly and fell gasping and choking onto his back, eyes staring at the ceiling. His forehead ached where he'd desperately slammed it against Sasuke's to end their little experiment. He concentrated on breathing normally, willing his racing heartbeat and thrumming senses to return to normal levels.

He could hear Sasuke's rapid breathing at floor level as well, and from the angle of the sounds he knew that they were both sprawled on the mats, each of them trying to recover from the memory-merging. When he could breathe quietly again, he raised himself up on his elbows to look at his student.

Sasuke was on his back a few feet away, arms and legs limp where they fell. His eyes were shut tight, his breathing calming down; the only evidence of the head-slam was a tiny trickle of tears at the corner of his left eye. He reached his hand up to brush them away, but no new tears sprouted after that. Kakashi sat up slowly, refraining from comment as his mind quietly analyzed the experience. It had been both exhilarating and terrifying. He reached up and hid his Sharingan beneath his hitai-ate with more than a little relief.

Shortly thereafter, Sasuke also sat up, combing his long fingers through his matted black hair in an attempt to compose himself. They sat quietly in the awkward silence that occurs when two close friends have learned many intimate things about one another in a short space of time. Kakashi was so lost in thought that he actually gave a start when he heard Sasuke's voice.

"So how long have you been with Iruka-sensei?" He could tell by the tone that Sasuke's lips had twitched in amusement.

Kakashi flushed deeply, but remained cool and collected as he regarded his student. There wasn't much sense in trying to hide anything from the boy now.

"Hmmm, well I suppose we should have a candid discussion, and compare notes on… _the Sharingan_." He wiggled his visible eyebrow suggestively.

Sasuke flushed, and stood up. "I'll make tea."

Kakashi watched him leave the room in haste, and grinned at his student's temporary embarrassment. He stood up, straightening the cushions on that side of the table, and then resumed his previous position. Sasuke entered with two steaming cups of tea, and placed them on the table as Kakashi pushed aside their lunch dishes.

Once seated, Sasuke sipped his tea, looking nowhere in particular, his face more relaxed than Kakashi had seen all day. It was curious, since they'd just been through something rather dramatic. But it was an improvement, which was a good thing.

"So," the Jounin said, ready to compare his own analysis with his student's, and finally get everything on the table. "We definitely need to practice that jutsu."

"Hn," Sasuke gently touched the small, new lump on his forehead, and then brushed his hair back from his face. "Why did your memory overshadow mine?"

"I have a theory," Kakashi said tentatively, "But we'll get to that later. I want to talk about Naruto, first." He saw Sasuke's brow twitch and his spine stiffen, but in a more normal shyness than before.

"How long have you felt like this?"

This time, Sasuke flushed deeply, a rather unattractive sight in combination with his purple and black bruises. His long lashes fluttered as he blinked twice before answering, "Since you made us climb trees in Wave Country."

Kakashi gaped in surprise, his eye wide. "Sasuke…that was five, almost six years ago!"

Sasuke crossed his arms, face still flushed. "Your _point_?"

Kakashi scratched his head, shrugging. "Well, that explains the intensity of your emotions." He stroked his left cheek through the mask thoughtfully. "Naruto always was a bit slow on the uptake."

"Tch," Sasuke muttered darkly, glaring, "Baka."

Kakashi agreed. "However, he did seem to respond to you favorably."

His student shrugged, his face draining of color and filling with sadness. "But he ran away."

The Uchiha didn't need to mention about the hard fist connecting with his jaw; they were both thinking of it. Kakashi had now _felt_ it, too, and he understood why Sasuke hadn't blocked—he'd also felt his student's intense arousal and emotions.

Kakashi waved his hand, "That's just Naruto. He reacts before he thinks. You know the kind of power he can command when he feels threatened." He went on, "Naruto wouldn't have tried to touch you if he didn't want to—I saw his eyes. He _wanted_ you, Sasuke."

Sasuke seemed to think about that, hands reaching for his mug and bringing it to his lips. "I don't believe it," Sasuke whispered against the surface of the tea, then sipped.

Kakashi grinned in sadistic mischief. "If I recall, he gave you at least one _big_ reason!"

Sasuke spluttered, tea spraying from his mouth and dripping down his chin. He used his sleeve to dab at it, and set his mug down like it was going to bite him. He glared at his sensei, cheeks reddening again, "_Pervert_."

Kakashi laughed, "Yeah, yeah."

He watched his student glaring at him, clearly thinking about their blond teammate, and he grinned behind the mask. It was almost as much fun to tease Sasuke as it was Iruka. His eyebrows raised up—that's right! With all the surprises of the day he'd almost missed the connection, but there it was. Now he knew why Iruka had suggested that he check up on Sasuke, and also why he'd been so secretive about it. Iruka clearly knew the whole story, and there could only be one explanation:

The _#1 hyperactive loudmouth ninja in Konoha_ must have told him. He chuckled again.

"Kakashi- sensei," Sasuke interrupted his thoughts.

Kakashi turned his gaze back to the Uchiha. "Hmmm?"

"You haven't answered my question," Sasuke insisted. "Why did I end up in your memory when I was the one who initiated the jutsu?" They both paused, Kakashi looking pensive with one hand tapping his masked face. Sasuke spoke up, "Did I …break into your mind?"

"No, no," Kakashi shook his head. "I think it's much simpler than that. You see, it's just that I'm a bigger pervert than you." He smiled, seeing Sasuke roll his eyes.

"I'll explain," he said to his student, leaning one elbow on the table. "You have great chakra control, Sasuke. You started the jutsu just fine; you picked a specific memory, and were able to transmit it to me with the Sharingan. We'll have to try again–another time, of course–but I believe that if things hadn't been complicated, you would've been able to stop the jutsu on your own."

"So what happened?" Sasuke asked, "It's like I lost control of what was going on, and your memory was suddenly in my head… like it was _me_ instead…" His voice trailed off, no doubt remembering Kakashi's extreme pleasure, for his cheeks flushed scarlet.

Kakashi nodded, "Yes. It was a total surprise that we could share each other's feelings…but I think it helps explain what happened. First, I can clarify one thing. You didn't lose control, Sasuke. I took it."

"Eh?" Sasuke looked confused. "Why?"

Kakashi spread his hands in innocence, "I didn't mean to. But like I said, I'm a bigger pervert, so my reaction to your…er…sensations brought to mind a recent memory of my own. So when I began to remember Iruka…I must have inadvertently started streaming the memory to you, as we were connected at the time."

"Hmmm," Sasuke nodded, and rested his uninjured cheek onto his palm, considering.

"Have you… been with a guy before?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke looked down quickly, reaching for his tea mug, frowning at the contents and then setting it back down on the table. "I only want Naruto," he said, very softly.

"Aa," Kakashi nodded sagely. "I thought that might be the case."

He could have been referring to the many years Sasuke had been pining for his teammate, leaving no room for any other guy. Or he could have been referring to the glaringly obvious fact that the incident at the river had been Sasuke's first romantic experience of any kind. Or he could have been referring to his own feelings for one Academy teacher, whom he knew was the only man he'd ever love for the rest of his days.

All were true.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, each pondering their own thoughts and feelings, the warm sun slanting into the room and bathing them both in soft warmth.

"Iruka-sensei," Sasuke began, hesitantly. He swallowed, "You love him. I felt it."

Kakashi nodded, his eye crinkling as he smiled. "Very much."

"It felt…heavy, almost…" he tried to put it into words. "Like my heart was bursting."

"Yes," Kakashi nodded. Then, "Sasuke." He locked his gaze with the young man, "It started with the same level of feelings that you have for Naruto." He let that sink in.

Sasuke clasped his hands in front of him, looking very serious. "Kakashi-sensei, how did you get Iruka to be with you?"

Kakashi barked a laugh, causing the teen to jump in surprise. He quickly reined it back down to a chuckle, running a half-gloved hand through his silver hair. Which inept act of courtship should he tell him? The notes and drawings he slipped in with his mission reports? The sneaking and stalking? The first date story?

"Well you know, Sasuke, Naruto is not the same as Iruka. You will have to find out for yourself what it takes to win the heart of your precious person."

Sasuke looked bleak. "It's impossible. Naruto won't—"

"–Naruto wouldn't give up!" Kakashi interrupted, voice commanding. "Naruto would know the worth of his precious person, and would give everything he had—even his life—to protect that person's happiness and make their dreams come true. He is a Konoha ninja!"

Sasuke's face hardened in resolve, and Kakashi saw him stand up, resolute, and turn to leave the house in search of his teammate. Kakashi quickly rushed in front of him, barring his path. _'Oh, the passions of teenagers!'_

"Just a minute, Sasuke–I don't think now is the best time."

"Naruto…I …" Sasuke stammered.

"It'll be fine, Sasuke," Kakashi soothed, steering him back to the living room. "Better wait for your bruises to heal somewhat."

Sasuke plopped down in his seat, scowling. "Hn. So I guess I'm stuck here."

Kakashi shook his head, "Not for long. You're strong, and you'll heal quickly." Sasuke shrugged. "How about I come back tomorrow and we'll train? We have a new option to choose from now!" Kakashi grinned.

Sasuke's mouth quirked, even though he was trying to stop it, and Kakashi swore he heard a small chuckle as he nodded. The Jounin stood and turned to go, when he heard Sasuke's best taunting voice.

"I never took you for an _uke_, Kakashi-sensei."

This is exactly why he hadn't sworn Sasuke to silence—he knew the Uchiha would keep it to himself only so that he could hold it over his sensei every chance he got.

Kakashi didn't miss a beat. He turned smoothly, flashing his signature wave, and grinned. Sasuke had nothing to complain about, having experienced the astounding pleasure in the memory of him and his lover. He couldn't deny it—Umino Iruka was very, _very_ good. So good, that Kakashi was determined to have him for lunch!

Glancing at his watch, Kakashi darted out of the Uchiha district and made his way into the heart of Konoha. He was right on schedule.

* * *

"Thank you!" Kakashi thanked the produce stand worker, taking his receipt and the small paper bag with his special purchase.

He waved, his face a wide grin beneath the mask, and then took off through the busy streets in the direction of the academy. Kakashi leaped into the dense branches of his favorite Iruka-spying tree, the one that allowed him to see the Chuunin's classroom with a perfect view of his desk. Iruka wasn't there, however. Kakashi could see the man a few hundred yards away, overseeing about twenty young ninjas as they tried desperately to hit the center of the targets set up for shuriken practice. One or two students did fairly well, but most were having a hard time hitting the _targets_, much less the _center_ of the targets.

Kakashi loved watching Iruka in action as he patiently moved from child to child, correcting their grips, or helping with their follow-through. His heart swelled—Iruka really was a much better sensei. He couldn't imagine the energy and planning it took to shape such young, new minds, and he was grateful that his Genin team had had their foundation built by Iruka and not some other Chuunin. It made his struggles as a teacher feel like a picnic when he thought of what a whole class full of beginners must be like.

Kakashi took advantage of Iruka's preoccupation to complete step one of his master plan.

He descended the tree, and darted over to the building, deftly climbing up to Iruka's window and entering the empty classroom. He silently approached the desk, and opened the bottom drawer where he believed Iruka kept his lunch squirreled away. He slipped the fabric-wrapped bento out of the drawer, and carefully tucked it under his arm as he made his way unnoticed out of the building and back into the tall tree.

For a few more delicious minutes, he watched his lover in action, and then Iruka must have announced it was lunchtime for all twenty kids cheered and scrambled back into the school. Kakashi saw them swarm into the classroom, and then scuttle back out with their lunches, Iruka wading through them without being knocked over in their excitement. His face was grinning, and Kakashi didn't blame him. Kids could be really cute sometimes.

Iruka straightened some things on his desk, then went to the long blackboard and began to erase it in preparation for the afternoon. Kakashi shamelessly enjoyed the gentle sway of Iruka's hips as his arm swept the eraser from side to side. Iruka finished just as another Chuunin appeared in the doorway. Kakashi watched as they conversed, and then Iruka leaned over to his bottom desk drawer.

The Jounin almost felt bad at his little game, seeing Iruka's puzzlement, and then irritation at the disappearance of his lunch. He looked around the other desks, finding no students to interrogate, and no signs of any monkey-business. The other Chuunin helped him search, Iruka going into the coat closet and coming back out empty-handed. His face grim, looking at his watch, Iruka halted the search with an annoyed gesture, and the two teachers left the room.

Kakashi whispered an apology from his perch in the trees, taking out the "stolen" bento and untying the knot of the fabric covering. He reached into his grocery bag, and removed his special purchase, using the fabric to tie it securely atop the bento. Parts of it stuck out absurdly, but it looked exactly as Kakashi was hoping, and he balanced it for a moment in a nearby tuft of leaves, reaching into a pocket of his vest and removing a small message scroll. He scribbled his little note, rolled the scroll back up, and returned it to his pocket.

Kakashi hopped down from the tree, Iruka's lunch tucked under his elbow as out of sight as he could make it, and then walked boldly into the Academy building. He made his way past the classrooms on the first floor, and turned down the faculty hallway, coming to the only room with shinobi inside it. This had to be Iruka's staff meeting. He paused at the door, listening to the voices inside, and then knocked. A man's voice called for him to enter, and Kakashi slid open the door, stepping into the room.

There were about twelve Chuunin teachers there, all sitting around a long rectangular table. Kakashi glanced over them quickly, noting the surprise on several faces. He smiled beneath his mask, amused. It wasn't every day _Copy-Ninja Kakashi_ turned up at a staff meeting.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Is Iruka-sensei here? I have a message from Hokage-sama." He reached into his pocket, withdrawing the small message scroll and holding it out on his palm.

"Here," Iruka stood, and made his way over to the Jounin, everything in his demeanor cool and professional. Kakashi fought not to grin at his lover—it was always like this when they were in public, the very fact that they were a secret couple making them want to do inappropriately intimate things to each other all the more.

He felt butterflies in his stomach just looking at Iruka as he crossed the room to him, knowing eleven other adults were watching. Iruka could convincingly pretend they were only acquaintances, his words and voice and body betraying nothing, but Kakashi could see the truth in his eyes. Iruka's brown eyes glistened with his desire like the richness of brownie mix batter, and if Kakashi hadn't been through years of ANBU training he would have closed the distance in an instant and ridden him in the center of the conference table despite their audience.

Instead, he kept calm and collected, grateful that he only had one eye that would show his true feelings to the only man who could interpret them.

Iruka stopped in front of him and took the scroll, his fingertips brushing across the exposed skin of Kakashi's hand. He opened it and read the Ninja shorthand message.

_~~ I would like to have you for dinner tonight; your place at 6? –Kakashi ~~_

Iruka closed his eyes a moment, and Kakashi swore he he saw his lover's body betraying the slightest of shivers before they opened again.

"Please tell Hokage-sama that I will not delay." Iruka nodded, handing back the scroll, and turning to return to his place.

"Just a moment, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi said, halting the younger man in his retreat. "I went to your classroom to deliver the message first, and I think you may have been looking for this." He held his hands out, offering Iruka his lunch, complete with an additional present.

There, tied to the bento with fabric, was the most enormous banana he could find—it hooked obscenely through the knot, at least three inches thick in diameter and over thirteen inches of suggestive curve from jutting tip to hardy stem. Iruka gaped, then quickly composed himself, snatching the package out of Kakashi's hands.

"One of your admirers must have hidden it as a prank," Kakashi said evenly, unable to resist the urge to tease, since he was resisting all other urges so splendidly.

"Thanks," Iruka said quickly, turning and retreating to his place at the table. The tips of his ears were red, Kakashi noticed.

Kakashi excused himself, closing the door behind him, and strolling out of the Academy and into the beautiful summer sun. He grinned, brain already at work on the rest of the evening's entertainment, sauntering along the busy streets with only perversion on the brain.

It was turning out to be a _very _good day.

* * *

[to be continued...] 


	4. Chapter 4

**

* * *

**

**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 4:

* * *

Naruto still couldn't believe what had happened the day before.

He pulled his blankets over his head and twisted them around his body, shutting out the glaring sun and groaning in half-sleep. He took a deep breath, letting his consciousness swim to the surface as peacefully as possible, _considering_. He could tell by the sun's intensity that it was well past morning, and he creased his brows beneath the covers.

Usually he woke up early, excited and raring to go on a mission or train with his team, but today he'd stayed in bed. He'd been wound-up so tight after leaving Iruka he knew he'd _never_ get to sleep without doing something exhausting. It wasn't easy, but he did finally manage to wear himself out inside his one-room apartment without busting anything.

The evidence of his activities was obvious in the sparkling tile and fixtures of his bathroom, the squeaky clean walls, floors, and ceilings, and the destroyed comforter in a heap in the corner by his front door. He'd used seven Kage-Bunshin to meticulously scour every surface of his apartment—an apt punishment as he hated to waste valuable training time doing menial chores—and yet, at the end, it was comforting to know that at least his apartment was clean and organized, even if his heart was in complete disorder.

Naruto stretched his limbs from within his cocoon of blankets, grateful that hosting the Kyuubi guaranteed him overnight healing from just about everything. His sore and tired muscles from all the cleaning held only a faint tightness after finally getting some much needed sleep. But this only reminded him that Sasuke didn't have the same luxury, and his thoughts clouded as he tried to picture what Sasuke's left cheek must look like.

It was only a small consolation that he found Sasuke incredibly attractive no matter how ugly he tried to imagine him.

Naruto thrust his arms out of his nest and pushed his blond, scraggly head out into the sunlight, an expression of guilty remorse on his face. He scrunched his eyes, remembering all too well the smacking sound his fist had made when he'd hit his best friend, and his heart twisted at the knowledge that he'd reacted so badly to something he knew was _good_–he just hadn't thought it through at the time.

He lay uncharacteristically still in his bed, confused from all the different feelings churning inside his chest, until he was tired of the mental ping-pong and decided to do something that might take his mind off the situation. He swung his legs to the floor, slipped from underneath his blankets and padded his way into the tiny kitchen.

He fixed himself some instant ramen, sitting at his little table and barely tasting the salty noodles. He drank the steaming broth in one gulp, following it with several swigs of cold milk, and let his mind examine the bizarre sensations of hot and cold inside his tummy. It was a welcome change from the knots of frustration that had resided there since the previous evening.

Naruto went over to his dresser, picking out orange shorts and a tight black t-shirt that fit over his muscles like a second skin. He tied on his hitai-ate, ran his fingers through his messy hair, and moved to the doorway to put on his sandals. He opened the door, and stepped outside, hesitant, as if he expected someone to attack him for being retarded and freaking out the day before. He watched the busy streets from up on the deserted sixth floor, before gritting his teeth in resolve and descending the stairs three at a time.

It was practically midday as he made his way swiftly through the busy shopping district, passing the rainbow hues of fresh produce and the signs and crowds around the other shops in Konoha. He glanced over his shoulder once at someone over by the bananas who'd caught his eye—

'_Was that Kakashi-sensei_?'

But he kept on going, not interested enough to check and be sure. He shook his head; it was still a little weird to know that his two teachers were _involved_. It would probably be awkward to be around Kakashi for a while, since the Jounin didn't know that he knew about their secret relationship. He really did _not_ need any more awkward.

Naruto soon approached the thick, green forest, and took a winding path through one of the many beautiful parks in Konoha until he came to a well loved running trail used by ninja since the time of Shodai Hokage. His sandals crunching on the gritty earth, Naruto focused on the path ahead of him and took off in a burst of speed.

This trail wasn't as highly trafficked as some of the newer, popular ones, but it was the one that Naruto especially liked. Running here suited his mood today. He was too disciplined to skip training entirely, but he wanted to be alone—this way he could do both. Kakashi loved to point out how he ignored the basics, so he figured it couldn't hurt to do something simple to change up his routine. His feet followed the path's curves and hills, his brain relaxing as it made minute calculations about velocity and the subtle changes in landscape.

Naruto focused on the quiet freedom that running through the forest could provide. He'd always been athletic, so the cardio exercise was something familiar, and therefore comforting. It was amazing how one event could turn normal things upside-down; he loved to fight and train and yet had almost not made it out the door that morning.

A first… to go with _other_ firsts.

Naruto let his senses take over, concentrating his mind on the swishing sound of his arms as they moved in time with his legs, and the changes in scent as the path veered towards the river or sloped upward to more rocky ground. Naruto quieted his mental struggles by flooding his mind with sensations of the physical: the forest was alive around him, animals and plants adding their songs to a communal symphony, and his heartbeat was the steady rhythm to which all other noises naturally fell in harmony.

When he sensed any other shinobi, he ran up the closest tree trunk and continued by leaping through the branches, though he always returned to the ground after passing them. He liked the feeling that he was only a small part of the world around him as he ran through the old, tall forest—but the best part was far up ahead, the mid point of the path that curled high above the village where the enormous Hokage monument watched over them all.

From there he could see almost the whole of Fire Country, and he always took a break there to renew his purpose: Becoming strong enough to hold the next Hokage name. At his current pace, he'd probably reach the monument within the next two hours.

Breath coming in steady puffs, Naruto kept running until the path arched closer towards the river. He wasn't too far from where he'd been training yesterday, and after finding the right spot he veered off into the thick woods on a short detour. The trees first became denser, and then they thinned out, finally opening to let him emerge into the hot, early afternoon sunlight. Naruto slowed down, stopping on the slanting bank and leaning his hands forward onto his knees, taking a few minutes to catch his breath.

Once his heart rate had slowed to a more normal lope, he walked along the river, eyes scanning the scrubbly terrain. He recognized the spot where they'd sparred yesterday, the ground lumpy and grass matted from hours of bracing and dodging—even an Academy student could have easily found the location. He moved around the perimeter of their combat area, eyes sweeping back and forth, reaching down once or twice to peer under tufts of longer weeds growing at the edge of the forest.

Naruto sighed. His wallet was nowhere to be found. Had he lost it somewhere else? He frowned, mentally retracing his steps leading up to when Sasuke… His eyes inadvertently settled on the stretch of ground where he knew he'd been pinned by his rival.

He quietly stepped forward towards the river, coming to the spot and kneeling. He pressed his hand into the damp earth, remembering how Sasuke's black hair had fluttered around his face in the breeze as he'd held him. Naruto turned his body and sat down, stretching out in the faint imprint he'd left less than a day ago, and looked at the sky, full of fluffy clouds passing lazily overhead.

For a moment, his whole brain could only hold one thought: _Sasuke_.

His hand moved to his navel, flattening his palm against where he knew the Kyuubi seal lay dormant in his body. Naruto stroked his stomach in idle figure-eights, fingers moving over the cotton fabric. He closed his eyes, the memory of how his teammate had felt rising fresh in his mind, and perhaps more importantly–how he'd made Naruto feel.

Uchiha Sasuke was the most important person in his life. He'd never quite thought about it in those terms, and yet he knew it had always been true. From the beginning they'd been inseparable, pushing each other to grow and succeed in ways that no one else could. Naruto could still remember what it was like to be eaten by that giant snake during their first Chuunin exam years ago; it was the thought of _Sasuke_ that gave him the courage to survive, to continue living so that they could continue to be rivals.

Sasuke was a predominant figure in everything he did; Naruto just automatically depended on his presence both on missions and in down time. If he was excited, he wanted to share that excitement with Sasuke. If he was angry, it was usually because of Sasuke. If he was bored, he found Sasuke. When he was lonely, he wanted Sasuke. It was instinct; it was habit; it was right.

And it was scary to come face to face with the whole of it.

He sighed, stopping the movement of his hand, picturing the ninja in question, and feeling his stomach tighten with the beginning tingles of arousal. Sasuke was incredibly, almost painfully beautiful. When had he first noticed _that_?

Naruto thought about their years together as teammates. He hadn't paid much attention to Sasuke's good looks at first because everyone else seemed retardedly obsessed with them. Naruto's lips curved into a smile, remembering how annoyed he'd been at all the attention Sasuke got when they'd first graduated the Academy. The day they were put on the same team, Naruto had been so annoyed and jealous he'd gotten right into Sasuke's face. Naruto flushed to remember the rest of the incident, someone bumping into him and causing their mouths to collide in their first kiss; first _ever_, not to mention first _together_.

Naruto flopped his hand down to his side, exhaling. That was the only kiss they'd ever had, and what he felt most was _disappointment_, since he could barely remember it, and he hadn't even wanted it at that time. He could only imagine what would have happened if he hadn't been such a freakin' idiot yesterday, and the disappointment stung even more bitterly on the back of his tongue.

Now that the idea wasn't so foreign, Naruto truly wished that he'd leaned forward and kissed Sasuke with all the admiration, appreciation, and adoration that he felt for his teammate.

He wouldn't have cared if Sasuke had hit him instead. He didn't really care that they were both guys. He just didn't always respond well to surprises… and the intensity of their mutual desire had been a _big_ surprise. In the simplest terms, he'd known in his heart what he felt for Sasuke, it just hadn't manifested into his head yet.

And Sasuke was cool, calculating, exact, and anal about everything he did—so how was Naruto to know that Sasuke would suddenly be holding him down and licking his stomach with such heated, sexual hunger? Didn't these things start with a date to the movies or something?

"Oi! What the hell are you doing?"

Naruto jumped up in a flash, eyes narrowed and kunai in hand, striking a defensive pose and prepared to face his teammate—the anticipation of seeing him again so soon a thick, terrified shield protecting a gooey center of eagerness. Then Naruto straightened up just as suddenly, his vision not matching his expectation.

It wasn't Sasuke.

The classmate standing a few feet from him was about as tall, and was also handsome, though in a brassy way; nothing close to the handsomeness of the famous Uchiha. He had a dark mop of hair, broad shoulders tapering to narrow hips, his wide grin revealing teeth that were just a bit too sharp. A dog the size of a small polar bear stood at his side, his tongue lolling casually from the summer heat, but clearly alert and ready to attack or defend based on how Naruto chose to handle the situation. Naruto sighed in exasperation.

"Kiba!" Naruto shouted, "What the _hell_!" He scrubbed a hand through his hair in frustration, and then pointed at his friend, his voice even louder. "Why are there always people sneaking up on me?"

"Tch," Kiba snorted, still grinning, his eyes sparkling, "Hey, I didn't even try to sneak! I just walked right up to you." He sank his fingers into the fur on Akamaru's head, scratching behind his ears. "We almost mistook you for Shikamaru, all lazy and staring at the clouds."

He made an exaggerated sniffing noise towards Naruto. "…But you smell like Ramen farts!"

Akamaru barked his agreement while Naruto gaped at the insult, but then found himself laughing along with them.

"Oi! Back off, dog breath!" Naruto included them both in his retort.

He put his kunai away and grinned, while Akamaru decided he wasn't a threat and sat down beside his master, tail wagging. Naruto walked over and started petting the dog as well, nodding at Kiba.

"I thought you were on a mission."

Kiba ruffled a hand through his own hair, the smile fading from his tattooed face. "Nope. Hinata went on a mission with Shino and his dad. Something they needed her for." He looked away and shifted his feet, stroking Akamaru as if it was the only thing that calmed him. The big dog rubbed his head against Kiba's leg.

Naruto guessed that his friend was feeling left out, with both his teammates leaving him behind while they were on an important mission. He thought of Sakura, all the way in Suna. And Sasuke… Well, he could sympathize. He was actually relieved that it'd been Kiba and not Sasuke who had interrupted his fantasies–he really didn't know what he'd do when he saw his rival next.

Naruto became aware of the back of his t-shirt sticking to him from the damp earth, and the front sticking from the sheen of sweat caused by laying in the sunlight. He pulled impatiently at the hem, shifting it square and trying to make it more comfortable, and turned back to his friend. Then he gave one of his normal smiles, "Well, they'll be back soon, right? And then you'll be off again."

Kiba nodded, looking worried, "Yep. I just…" It seemed he was about to say something significant, but instead he shook his head, and changed the subject. "Anyways, are you going to compete in the festival?"

Naruto scratched his head. What the hell was he talking about? "Festival?"

"_Baka_," Kiba rolled his eyes, "The Festival of Golden Kunai! The major Konoha festival that's only held once every ten years!"

Naruto shrugged, trying to look as if he knew what the dog boy was talking about. "Maybe," he answered, nonchalant.

Kiba rolled his eyes, "Don't tell me you haven't heard!" He shifted his weight onto one leg, one hand on Akamaru's head and the other perched on his hip. "The festival starts in three days, and lasts for about four. The only good part is the scavenger hunt—it's Chuunin vs. Jounin, and it's really tough. Sometimes _nobody_ is good enough to win."

Naruto perked up—he loved these types of games. "What does the winner get?"

Kiba grinned, "The winner gets the Golden Kunai, of course! It's solid gold, engraved by master Konoha metalsmiths and rumored to be worth like… _five_ houses!" He spread his arms out wide like he could own the world, and then scratched Akamaru's head playfully, chuckling. "You know, Akamaru? It could feed us the biggest, juiciest steaks for years!"

Naruto grinned back, "All you think about is food, isn't it!"

Kiba shook his head, swatting Naruto's arm playfully, "Look who's talking! It could probably buy you a _lifetime_ of Ramen!"

Naruto blocked him with ease. "You've just convinced me to win that prize!"

"Oi," Kiba cautioned, "You'll have to keep your head out of the clouds to beat us! And when my teammate and best friend gets back from his mission, you won't stand a chance!"

Naruto's smile was the one to falter this time. Teammate. Best friend. _Sasuke_.

Kiba and Shino didn't have complicated feelings to get in the way of their friendship, and Naruto felt jealous, since things with his own best friend were so messed up. Could he ever have something more with Sasuke? Was it worth even trying? What if it messed up their friendship instead?

"Hey Naruto?" Kiba nudged him, smiling, breaking his concentration.

"What?"

"How about a fight?" Kiba challenged him, eyes sparkling in excitement.

_…How about a fight?_ Of course! Uzumaki Naruto didn't run away, Uzumaki Naruto fought for his precious people and never gave up!

And he sure as hell wouldn't give up Sasuke, even if it took the rest of his life to make it up to him.

Naruto looked up at Kiba, and brought a hand to the back of his neck. "Um… sorry Kiba. There's something else I have to do." Kiba's face fell in disappointment, but he shrugged it off good naturedly and began to walk away, his dog loping after him.

Naruto hastily added, "But another time, okay?"

Kiba and Akamaru both turned back to wave, Kiba's smile back in place. "Okay!"

Naruto waved at them, watching as they sprinted off into the forest and continued whatever they'd been doing before finding him flat on his back daydreaming about Sasuke. He swung his arms back and forth, getting his blood going again, and he stretched out his hamstrings before darting back into the forest and rejoining the running path, his long legs making short work of the varying terrain. His mind meandered like the path in front of him, but eventually settled firmly on the situation at hand.

Iruka was right. He had to apologize, had to try to talk to Sasuke, and _soon_. But he had to admit he was scared. Uchiha Sasuke didn't talk much in general, and Naruto was doubtful that he'd be anything but tight lipped about what had happened between them. It was a different kind of talking that was necessary than the taunts and insults that were their usual form of conversation—they were both too stubborn and competitive to ever really open up. Naruto was at a loss as to how they'd do it now.

He had been content with their close relationship the way it was, but now that he'd spent some time mulling things over, he just couldn't imagine going any longer without at least once letting Sasuke know how he felt. He felt… _emotional_ things for Sasuke, and not just physical thrills whenever they had close contact.

Sasuke _did_ make his body twitch whenever he was within three feet of him… but it was more because of their excellent teamwork, he told himself, than the arch of his regal neck, or the hard muscles of his lean body, or the curve of his tight butt…

Naruto's sandal slipped in the pebbly dirt, throwing him slightly off balance, but he quickly caught himself and sped faster up the path in typical overcompensation. He tried to push thoughts of Sasuke out of his mind, and focused instead on his breathing, his running, his chakra. He ran on, emotions swirling in place of his thought, until he was making the difficult, zig-zagging climb up towards the Konoha Hokage monument.

As he climbed, his alert senses picked up on the presence of two shinobi at the top of the monument, directly in his path. He leapt into a nearby tree, climbing to see who it was around the next corner, his brow creasing in irritation. If someone was having a picnic, it would throw a wrench in his ritual. With any luck, they'd only be pausing to enjoy the view, and he could wait them out in the safety of the treetop and then proceed to his favorite spot for a short rest.

Peering through the leaves at the highest branches, he could just make out two shinobi seated side by side at the head of the Third. A boy and a girl, both young teenagers, were talking quietly together, hands clasped. They completely ignored the view from their perch, having eyes only for each other.

Naruto watched as the boy leaned forward to whisper something in the girl's ear, and then they both broke into giggles. They were much too focused on each other to notice that there was a powerful ninja hiding in a nearby tree, and it seemed a safe bet that they'd stay there for the rest of the afternoon. Naruto frowned in disappointment and climbed down without a sound, having grudgingly mapped a course to avoid them and then continue his run.

He crept around the bend, keeping the pair in his peripheral vision in case they sensed his presence, melting into the shadows of the sparse trees and hiding the orange of his clothing. When he was halfway past the lovebirds, he spared a glance in their direction to make sure they were still ignoring him and nearly crashed into a skinny tree trunk from the surprise of immediate recognition—the boy's fuzzy brown hair and long scarf were a dead giveaway, as were the dainty features and pale silvery eyes of the kunoichi.

Naruto clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle his surprise, standing deer-in-the-headlights still, hoping they wouldn't notice him.

Konohamaru was leaning forward again, fingers sweeping Hanabi's soft brown hair off of her forehead, the movement following the curve of her face which he held adoringly in his palm. Her cheeks blossomed pink, her eyes brimming with emotion, and Konohamaru leaned in and kissed her. She melted into his embrace, and he held her close, kissing her cheeks, her nose, her forehead and eyelids, which made her titter happily into his chest. Konohamaru's smile as he tucked her head beneath his chin and simply hugged her close to him was nothing short of beaming.

Naruto, blushing at having caught his young pal with his girlfriend, managed to take control of his body and continued silently on his way, tip-toeing around the bend and somehow exiting the area without incident.

Once at safe distance, Naruto sprinted back into his running pace, feet flying over the earth. His heart palpitated from what he'd just witnessed, somewhat from the intrinsic cuteness of the scene but mostly at a personal realization.

He wanted that with Sasuke—the freedom to express his feelings through touch and the trust that it would be reciprocated.

He wanted to spend time just …near to him; seeing his expressions up close, touching that ink-black hair, running it through his fingers and staring into the matching black eyes. He wanted to know what it was like to have Sasuke sleep in his arms, head tucked under his chin and limbs entwined. He wanted to be woken up with kisses, Sasuke's striking features the first thing he saw in the morning.

Naruto's gut clenched with the realization that he truly wanted to be with Sasuke: Not just pals, not just rivals, and not just—gulp!—_lovers_.

He creased his brows, thinking of Iruka and their conversation. He didn't know for how long, but Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei were a real couple, although he'd never once seen anything that would make him think they were involved. Naruto smirked, pleased to know something so personal and gossipy about his sensei, and yet he knew he would never betray Iruka's trust by letting on that he knew.

But _Kakashi_? He was such a pervert! How in the hell did Iruka fall for him, of all the Jounin—of all the _male_ Jounin, he corrected—around? Yesterday, hearing about Iruka and Kakashi had made him relax enough to confide in Iruka about Sasuke; it was pure, dumb luck that he'd chosen to ask Iruka for help, and Iruka had let it slip about their relationship.

So who else in the village was gay?

Naruto had never really thought about the possibilities; he'd always been focused on training, spending time with Sasuke, completing their missions and working to become Hokage. So now when he did think about it, he had no clue if there were any other male couples out there.

And how long had Iruka and Kakashi been hiding their feelings? They were both phenomenal ninja, so it wasn't a surprise that they were capable of keeping a secret. But could he do the same thing with Sasuke? Could he pretend to the rest of the village that they were really only rivals, or teammates, and only show his true feelings when they were alone? Is _that_ what he had to do?

Naruto made a noise of annoyance. It shouldn't have to be that way. If he was going to be with Sasuke, he wanted to really _be_ with Sasuke. To admit it to himself was exhilarating, but still scary. He didn't have a clue what to do next, or what Sasuke even thought of him at all…but at least one thing was clear: He would do whatever it took to win Sasuke's heart.

His expression determined, Naruto raced over the winding path, the sun starting to set behind him over the village.

* * *

Kakashi hummed a racy tune he'd picked up somewhere in Grass Country as he finished preparing a sumptuous meal for Iruka.

He'd been all over Konoha that afternoon, shopping for the perfect ingredients and accoutrements for the festivities of the evening, and yet he still had plenty of energy left over. He'd made himself quite at home, rearranging Iruka's living room to suit his plans, and availing himself of refrigerator space and all kinds of kitchen utensils and dishes.

He put the finishing touches on their meal, and then rinsed his hands and dried them on a towel, turning to survey the scene in the living room and make sure he had everything in place. He'd moved the low table away from the sofa and into the center of the floor, arranging plush pillows for them to sit on, side by side. There were more pillows in a heap nearby, underneath the window, which was lined with candles waiting to be lit when it got darker outside.

In the center of the table, a small fondue pot was bubbling, a mild scent of Cheddar cheese wafting from it. The small platter next to it had a fine linen napkin draped over it, hiding lumps of something presumably edible. Kakashi went to the refrigerator, taking out the bottle of good sake he'd purchased earlier, and placed it on the table along with two cups. Everything seemed just right.

He went into Iruka's bedroom, tugging off his mask to change into a new silver silk robe. He pulled the sash tight, enjoying the luxurious feel of the fabric sliding across his skin, and moved back out into the living room to await Iruka's arrival. He clicked on the stereo, his chosen CD filling the room with peaceful, sensual music.

In just a few minutes, Kakashi could sense Iruka's approach, and he moved to stand demurely against the wall that divided the kitchen from the living room, facing the entryway. Iruka opened the door, saw Kakashi and smiled, making the Jounin's heart flutter while he set down his knapsack and kicked off his sandals, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair from his face.

Kakashi went to him, unhurried, stopping just a hair's breadth in front of him, not reaching out to the other man. He'd have to exercise control if he was to carry out his plans, and it was far too soon to give in to his immediate longings. Instead of pulling the younger man to him in a tight embrace, he merely bent his head, leaning in to kiss him hello. Iruka tilted his chin upward, but Kakashi's lips never touched the Chuunin's. He blinked.

"Bad Jounin! Bad!" Iruka scolded him, mouth quivering in suppressed laughter, two fingers pressed against Kakashi's lips preventing the kiss. Kakashi grinned, raising his hand to hold Iruka's fingers in place and kissing them instead.

"I can't believe you!" Iruka gave in to the laughter, "You are so _embarrassing_!" Iruka pulled his hand away and swatted at Kakashi, who easily avoided it. Kakashi didn't have to guess what he was referring to, grinning back without apology.

"Didn't you like your lunch?" he asked, mock hurt in his voice.

Iruka rolled his eyes, "You just couldn't resist doing something perverted, could you?" The Chuunin sidled out of Kakashi's grabbing hands, grinning back despite himself.

"I wanted to make sure you were eating healthy," Kakashi fibbed, pretending to try to catch Iruka as he hopped around the entryway, enjoying their little game.

"You _like_ it, don't you?" Iruka chided him, slipping out of reach one more time, "You like being suggestive, all those other ninja watching us." He twisted and blocked Kakashi's wrist with one hand, using the other to strike at him, neither man working in earnest to catch or to get away.

"You're so cute when you're trying not to jump on me," Kakashi teased, deftly avoiding Iruka's half hearted punch, and reaching towards him again.

"At least there's one thing that's keeping me from killing you," Iruka smirked, hopping to the side and finding a wall at his back.

Before he could twist away, Kakashi had placed his hands on the wall behind him, cornering him. Iruka half-heartedly tried to squirm away, effectively bringing his lover closer in order to keep him still, their thighs touching. Kakashi felt Iruka's hands on his chest, preserving enough distance that they could still look at each other comfortably.

"Oh?" Kakashi asked, his eyes taking in the playful smirk on Iruka's face.

"Yes," Iruka said. "There was a flaw in your little plan… a _monumental_ flaw." Kakashi's hormones spiked as he felt Iruka's hips thrust against his own at the pun.

"Oh?" he almost didn't care what they were talking about anymore.

"Yes," Iruka whispered, tilting his jaw and bringing his mouth very, very close to the Jounin's. "You didn't get to watch me _eat_ my lunch."

Kakashi didn't hesitate to close the gap and kiss him breathless. Iruka's arms wrapped around Kakashi's back, their bodies pressed together in a tight line, and their tongues fighting for domination in a war of sensuality. Kakashi was seldom reduced to undeniable, pure physical need—he had been through training that other ninjas only had nightmares about. And yet this man, this incredibly talented, adorable Academy sensei could undo all the discipline that had been ingrained in him for decades.

Kakashi pulled Iruka away from the wall so he could slip both hands into his hair, pushing off the hair tie and loosening the silky mass into a chocolate halo. He moaned, feeling Iruka's hands stroke up and then down his spine, his back breaking out in goose bumps underneath the silk. He broke off the kiss, holding Iruka's head in place so he could look at him, both of them panting from the passion of the moments. Iruka might not be as flashy as other ninjas, not as easily recognizable as himself, but he was handsome; the thin scar across his nose only accented his uniqueness, and marked him as a true warrior.

Kakashi kissed his forehead gently, fingers stroking through his longish brown hair, "Well who said that the game was over?"

Iruka chuckled, resting his arms loosely around Kakashi's waist. He leaned forward, touching their noses together briefly, a smile playing at his lips.

"I usually find you to be quite… thorough." The smile became a grin, and Kakashi's cheeks reddened. Iruka was definitely feeling playful tonight.

Kakashi turned towards the bedroom, walking Iruka backwards down the hall and through the door. Iruka chuckled the entire way, expecting to be ravished, but Kakashi simply stood him at the foot of his bed, picking up the Navy blue robe that he'd folded there neatly that afternoon. He held it out to Iruka, who took the lush fabric between his fingers and held it up to his body, testing it's length.

"Here, it should fit," Kakashi reached to undo the zipper of his vest, aiding the Chuunin in undressing.

"Wow…it feels _expensive_…" Iruka was mesmerized by the soft silk, running the sash through his fingers over and over, only half aware of Kakashi's hands moving over his body.

Kakashi gave him a kiss on the temple, gently removing the blue robe from his lover's grasp and laying it across the bed. He slid his hands under the standard shinobi shirt, and Iruka raised his arms in cooperation while Kakashi finish undressing him. It was a miracle, but Kakashi managed to get a naked Iruka into the silk robe without anything seriously perverted distracting him, aside from a few caresses here and there which he couldn't resist.

Iruka seemed to love the attention, and so he reached up to run his fingers through Iruka's dark hair and push it gently back from his face. Then, taking his hand, Kakashi led him back into the living room so they could begin their meal.

"Mmm, what did you make?" Iruka asked as they approached the table. Kakashi gestured for him to sit on the cushions, and joined him.

He quirked an eyebrow, smirking, "Well, I knew I'd miss out on watching you enjoy your… _lunch_," Kakashi winked, pouring sake into the two cups and handing one of them to Iruka. "So this will more than make up for it."

He raised his cup in salute, and they both drank. Iruka's eyes sparkled from curiosity and anticipation, his copper skin glowing against the deep blue silk he wore.

Kakashi raised the lid of the fondue pot, revealing the orangey mixture inside, and then lifted the linen cloth from the platter next to it. There were several breads represented, small chunks curving artfully around some vegetables, with slices of Fuji apples in the center. Iruka grinned at him in delight. Kakashi picked up a fondue fork.

"You see," he said, stabbing a round mushroom and swirling it in the melted cheese. "Now I get to watch you eat an entire meal, one delicious bite-sized piece at a time."

He held the fork for Iruka, who opened his mouth and slid the mushroom off using his teeth. Iruka closed his eyes as he swallowed, cheeks flushing in pleasure. Kakashi chuckled, moving closer so that he could cradle Iruka against him as he continued to feed him, once or twice remembering that it was his dinner as well.

They chatted and laughed, limbs entwining as they took turns feeding each other bits of bread or apple, soon polishing off the last of the cheese, and having another round of sake. Kakashi kissed Iruka's lips , turning off the fondue pot, rising from the cushions and moving into the kitchen. He came out with a small sushi tray, and set it in front of Iruka.

"Unagi!" Iruka exclaimed excitedly, "That's my favorite!"

Kakashi grinned, "I know." He used the chopsticks in his hand to feed the sushi to Iruka, who closed his eyes and chewed slowly, moaning in bliss.

"Is it good? I made it myself," Kakashi asked.

Iruka nodded emphatically, then slid down in the cushions to lay his head in Kakashi's lap, his body limp in contentment. Kakashi smiled, loving how fun it was to pamper Iruka; he wished he had breaks from missions more often. He wasn't exactly in the clear anyhow, since his skills were in high demand and he often went on solo missions–he could be sent away at any moment. However, Kakashi decided not to dwell on that possibility while he could still enjoy his free time to the fullest, which meant as much alone time with Iruka as he could possibly get.

He reached for another piece of eel, and offered it to Iruka, who wiggled in delight as he chewed and swallowed it. '_Dear god_,' Kakashi glanced upward, '_You must really, really love me to have allowed me something this precious_.'

Kakashi planted a quick kiss on Iruka's cheek, feeding him bite after bite of eel, and laughing at Iruka's adorable squeals and squirms of joy at each piece of his favorite food. When the Unagi had all disappeared, Iruka lay content in Kakashi's lap. Kakashi let his hands stroke the younger man, brushing the hair from his face, tracing a fingertip down his throat, the touches lazy and comfortable rather than sexual. Iruka's fingers toyed with the edge of the silver robe, stroking up and down the diagonal line where it crossed Kakashi's chest and stomach.

"Hey, Kakashi…" Iruka asked in a quiet voice, his eyes looking up at the Jounin with a sensual weight. "What about _dessert_?"

Iruka's hand left off stroking the robe and slid up Kakashi's firm body and neck to curve around his cheek; Iruka's thumb traced the edge of his upper lip back and forth. Kakashi caught the thumb in his teeth playfully to make Iruka smile, then he rubbed his cheek into his palm and kissed it. He bent over for a more satisfying kiss, and Iruka's arms slipped around his neck and hugged him tighter, hands fisting in the collar of the robe as he opened his mouth and kissed back. Kakashi's stomach dropped, his groin responding instantly to Iruka's advances; he moaned into his lover's mouth, just barely resisting the urge to skip to the end and have good, exhaustive sex right there on the floor.

After a lengthy interlude of kissing on the floor pillows, Kakashi pulled back from his lover, a smile on his face.

"Iruka-sensei, you almost made me forget all about the real dessert," he teased, offering one last peck.

Iruka frowned up at him, pretending to be put out. "Hn."

Kakashi sat up and pulled Iruka with him. "Now I _do_ have something planned for dessert, so if you'd come over here…"

He led them over to the heap of pillows, and gestured for Iruka to kneel, facing them. Kakashi lit the candles in the window, the darkness outside a black backdrop to the tiny flames, and turned off the other lights in the room. He moved back to Iruka, who cocked a questioning eyebrow at him. Kakashi simply smiled, reaching fingers towards the knot of the blue sash and untying it.

"It's a very special dessert, and it tastes best when you're relaxed and warm."

Kakashi waggled his eyebrows as he reached to Iruka's collar and pushed the navy silk over his shoulders and down his back to pool around his knees. Kakashi moved to the side of the pillows and gestured with a sweep of his arm for Iruka to lay on his stomach and make himself comfortable. Iruka leaned forward stretching out, and Kakashi moved the discarded robe out of the way.

He reached to the end table by the sofa and grabbed the bottle of massage oil he'd bought earlier, and squeezed some into his palm. He rubbed the oil between his hands to warm it, then pressed his palms to Iruka's back and began to stroke his tanned skin. Iruka sighed, giving in completely to the soothing touches, and Kakashi systematically worked over all his muscles starting in the upper back and neck.

His hands were strong, calloused from rigorous training, but gentle when he chose them to be. Kakashi knew he could kill with these same hands, faster than most opponents could realize what he'd done. But he also liked to hone other skills, skills that brought about comfort, protection, and love—it was what kept him sane.

Kakashi sighed, his hands moving deftly down Iruka's back to the base of the spine, working out the few knots he found and smiling as each muscle relaxed and Iruka continued to sigh contentedly. When Iruka's back was finished, he smoothed his palms up and down from shoulders to hips and back, then turned his hands over and let his short nails graze across the tender skin. Iruka made noises of pleasure as his back broke out in goose bumps. Kakashi moved his hands lower, curving over Iruka's round behind and working the muscles of his hips and thighs, one side at a time.

His thoughts moved briefly to Sasuke, and their conversation that morning. Sasuke had spent a lot of time watching Naruto from afar, and had endured being his teammate without letting on how he really felt; at least until the time at the river. But Kakashi knew what that was like—for he'd watched Iruka from afar in much the same way. It was soon after he'd been assigned Team Seven that he'd really noticed the Chuunin. They spoke for the first time in the mission office.

Kakashi's hands hit a ticklish spot on the back of Iruka's knee, and his leg gave a twitch. They both laughed, Kakashi continuing the soothing, sensual rhythm of his massage, lingering a bit longer than he had on his upper body.

Yes, it had started innocently enough, and then deepened as the months went by and they seemed to see more and more of each other–probably because of their dual relationship with a young, blond ninja.

Kakashi's hands moved lower, sliding down Iruka's long legs, not leaving a single inch of visible skin untouched. He remembered how he'd started to get nervous around the Chuunin whenever he had to hand in a mission report. Oh, how that had galled him! Despite his fame, he'd had to work up the nerve to be around this particular Academy teacher, but in time he started to look forward to their infrequent meetings, picturing Iruka's smiling, gentle face–Kakashi was amused by how completely it changed when he yelled at Naruto in fury.

Iruka had grown on him, and Kakashi had started on things. He'd think up random stories and would draw out comics, handing them in with his mission reports and passing it off as something to keep him from the boredom of babysitting his Genin. He'd also brought Iruka examples of non-ninja life from his travels that he thought the teacher could use in lessons about other countries.

Did Iruka still have any of those? Kakashi chuckled; maybe it was time to revisit his artistic pursuits and draw some comics of an _entirely_ different nature to hand in with future mission reports.

Kakashi's hands found Iruka's feet, and he heard a gasp of pleasure from the younger man as he worked out the muscles that were sore from standing in a classroom all day. Even when the muscle tension had eased, the Jounin kept his hands active on Iruka's feet because he knew it was one of his lover's most sensitive erogenous zones. Kakashi's fingers slid between Iruka's toes, his thumbs running along the bridge and instep in gentle, teasing motions. Iruka was close to whimpering, the rest of his body squirming at the ministrations. Kakashi kept it up until Iruka started to try to flip himself over, but he simply pressed the man back down into the pillows and moved his touches slowly up his legs.

Iruka's body was tense under his touch as he tried to keep still, and Kakashi moved his hands upward and upward, seeking to create a different kind of tension than the one he'd just relieved. When he reached his lover's neck, he sank his fingers into the thick hair and massaged his scalp in slow, sure circles. Iruka was moaning uninhibitedly now, moving a hand towards Kakashi and settling on his thigh.

Iruka's palm made small caresses, showing Kakashi how much he was enjoying the massage, and that he wanted to touch him back. Teasing Iruka too much more would be cruel, so Kakashi leaned down, pressing his chest against his smooth back and kissing just below his ear.

"Wait here a moment," he whispered, and then nibbled at the earlobe, watching more goose bumps spread over the tanned neck and shoulder.

"Mmmm," Iruka murmured, somewhat urgently. Kakashi stood and quickly went to the kitchen, gathering the dessert items and walking back to his lover.

"Close your eyes," he requested, and knelt again at Iruka's side, placing the items nearby, and slipping out of his robe. He placed a gentle hand against the small of Iruka's back, "You can roll over now."

Iruka did so, his brown hair mussed from lying against the pillows. Kakashi's hand caressed slow circles on Iruka's abs, just above his partial erection. He used one of the pillows near the table to prop Iruka's head up, allowing Iruka to help adjust it while keeping his eyes shut.

"I'm going to feed you a bite of this," he instructed, "So open your mouth…"

Kakashi held the spoon up to Iruka's mouth, and Iruka took the bite, his eyes snapping open as he recognized the cold richness of chocolate ice cream. He made a noise of excitement as he ate, and Kakashi laughed, spooning more of it for him and feeding him several mouthfuls.

Then he put the bowl down, and picked up another bowl, along with a tool generally not used for eating. Iruka cocked his head, curious.

Kakashi winked. "Oh this?" he said, smirking, "See…the ice cream is for you. But this," Kakashi dipped the utensil into the second bowl, swirling it and then lifting it for Iruka to see that it was indeed a calligraphy brush freshly coated in melted chocolate.

"_This_ is for _me_."

Kakashi took the brush and made bold strokes with it on the canvas of Iruka's torso, the Chuunin biting his lip to keep from looking while Kakashi wrote out a poem. Kakashi could tell that the brush strokes tickled, but the warm chocolate should be soothing and sensual to compensate. He read it out loud when he'd finished:

_Lighting one candle  
with another candle;  
an evening of spring.  
-Bashon_

"Oh _'Kashi…_" Iruka gazed up at him, obviously recognizing the famous haiku poet, but also catching the deeper meaning—the first time they'd said they loved each other was back in early spring.

Iruka sat up and caught his face between his palms, kissing him passionately. Kakashi kissed back, though he was careful not to spill the contents of the bowl, and when Iruka finally pulled back his eyes were brimming with emotion. Kakashi's heart swelled huge in his chest, and he grinned, reaching the brush to Iruka's lips and painting them with chocolate lipstick. They kissed again, Kakashi licking and sharing the tasty chocolate while Iruka licked any stray bits of chocolate from his mouth.

Kakashi settled Iruka back on the pillows, and crept down to straddle his closest leg. He braced himself, making sure Iruka would have a perfect view as he leaned down and began to lick the haiku back off of the smooth skin.

When the poetry had been erased, Kakashi paused to feed more ice cream to Iruka with one hand, and to paint abstract art with the other. Iruka squirmed as the brush painted over his nipple, which tightened immediately in response. Kakashi painted the other one, flicking the brush over it several times before sliding it along Iruka's collarbone. The brush crept up Iruka's throat, and then descended back down to play over his ribs and stomach.

In sudden inspiration, he made a thick, dark swirl around Iruka's navel, deciding he agreed with his tensai student that it looked incredibly tasty on the right man. Kakashi then began to follow the sweet, brown lines with his hot, wet tongue, freeing his hands from all utensils so he could prop himself above his lover. Iruka took advantage of their positions and reached his own hands to Kakashi's body, stroking his skin and making it break out in goose bumps.

Kakashi's lips moved up to nibble along Iruka's collarbone, adding nips to the meatier parts of his shoulders and neck, and shivering from the feel of Iruka's nails tracing pictures of their own on the broad expanse of his back. Kakashi drowned himself in the scent and taste of his lover, the musk of his shampoo, the tang of his aftershave, the sweetness of chocolate and skin a combination that no Chef could duplicate.

He licked and teased Iruka's nipples, swirling his tongue around the nubs and sucking greedily. Iruka squirmed beneath him, making pleasure noises and digging his nails into Kakashi's shoulders. Kakashi gently used his teeth to tease each nipple, alternating between bites and licks, well aware of his lover's hips thrusting a very erect cock into his thigh.

Kakashi shifted to lick and bite along Iruka's neck, climbing a moist path upward. Iruka bucked when his tongue reached the sensitive crevices of his ear, and Kakashi's pleasure was increased tenfold at the tight, painful grip of Iruka's strong hands twisting in his silvery hair.

Unable to withstand any more, Iruka turned his head so that their mouths met in a delicious, sugary mixture of tongues and lips, and his arms pulled Kakashi on top of him so he could wrap his legs around his waist and hold him close. Kakashi kissed the Chuunin for all he was worth, disregarding the transfer of chocolate to his own body as their skin was pressed tight together by Iruka's muscular legs.

Kakashi moved his lips along Iruka's jaw line and up to his other ear, nibbling there before descending down his neck and covering his other collarbone with equally pleasant bites. He kissed his way down Iruka's chest, curving his tongue over muscles and ribs as he moved lower and lower to lick the remaining chocolate across his abs in wide strokes. Iruka loosened his legs just enough to allow their bodies to shift.

Bracing himself on his left arm, Kakashi looked up seductively to Iruka's brown eyes, and slowly leaned his body so that his mouth came tantalizing close to the very erect, very sexy cock in front of him. Iruka's breathing increased, looking down his chocolate smeared torso to find Kakashi's long, talented tongue reaching out and flicking the ridge around the head of his cock.

Iruka's cock twitched, his whole body going rigid in anticipation, and Kakashi let his tongue play over the soft skin at the tip, licking up the beads of moisture there, then moving away. Iruka pleaded at him with puppy-dog eyes, but Kakashi simply picked up his chocolate ink and swirled the calligraphy brush in it, a suggestive smirk on his face to let Iruka know he wasn't finished yet. Kakashi stirred the chocolate back and forth, then removed the brush and set it down.

Before Iruka could ask, he tipped the bowl and poured its contents all over Iruka's large cock, coating it in a slick shell of chocolatey-goodness—it was time for the _feast_.

Kakashi didn't care that he was making a mess. He didn't care that they weren't his pillows, or his floor, or his drapes that would have bits of chocolate on them by the time he was done. What he _did_ care about was making sure that Iruka was very, very well pleased that night, and he focused all his energies on that goal.

Iruka was a dessert all by himself, without the aid of chocolate or anything else. But something about the combination of food and sex drove Kakashi absolutely wild; based on tonight's experiment he believed that his lover agreed with him. Umino Iruka was whimpering, grabbing fistfuls of pillow and squirming in pleasure as Kakashi used his lips, tongue and throat with well practiced skill. While his mouth was busy, his hands roamed all over Iruka's body, stroking every inch of skin he could reach and leaving trails of smeared chocolate.

He curved his hands underneath Iruka's round butt, using the power in his arms to lift the man's hips as he swallowed his long cock down his throat, sucking its length over and over and over. Iruka's body writhed beneath him as Kakashi found the right rhythm, the rhythm that made his lover's breathing quicken to short gasps, gasps that were soon accompanied by small moans, moans that would crescendo into a single note of ecstasy when Iruka's orgasm wracked his body in quivering spasms.

Kakashi swallowed it all, not letting one drop escape his ravenous mouth, the bitter crème complimented perfectly by a rich, chocolate residue.

He looked at his lover, spread-eagled on a pile of lush pillows, eyes closed and mouth curling in complete satisfaction. His heart swelled with pride at being the man, the only man who had ever won the complete trust of Umino Iruka, the only one who had been deemed worthy of sharing such intimate contact, made all the more real by their mutual affection underneath the lust. He knelt comfortably where he was, catching his breath and memorizing how Iruka looked.

Iruka held out his hand, reaching for him with what strength he had left.

"You," he murmured, crooking his finger, "Come here."

Kakashi grinned, sliding his body up to lie beside his lover, who settled limp arms around his neck and looked up at him through long lashes. He reached out a hand and brushed Iruka's hair back from his face, his caresses soft and sweet.

Iruka's lips parted in a very satisfied smile, "Wanna cook me dinner tomorrow?"

Kakashi laughed a loud barking laugh that rumbled from deep within, his face split into a wide and uninhibited grin.

"Of course!" he agreed with no hesitation, bending to kiss Iruka's lips gently, both their mouths rather sensitive from their evening of debauchery.

He felt Iruka's hands moving over his body, circling a nipple, stroking his abs, and then clasping his still half-erect cock. He sighed against Iruka's neck, nuzzling his lover and relishing the idea that they had many more hours together before they'd have to sleep. Not that he especially _wanted_ to stop for sleep—but he did want to be sure Iruka could teach safely the next day and not be wounded by his shuriken-wielding brats. Thankfully their night had just started.

Iruka must have been thinking the same thing, for Kakashi felt his lover's lazy caresses begin to move with more purpose. His pale skin blossomed in arousal and his cock hardened instantly from Iruka's skillful handiwork, jutting long and thick from his body. He felt Iruka's other hand moving into his hair, stroking his scalp with his fingernails, and making a fist in the soft, silvery locks. Iruka pulled his head back from his shoulder and looked at him.

He watched intently as Iruka's satisfied expression became more heated, and before he knew it Iruka had bent forward and sunk his teeth into line of his exposed neck. Kakashi bucked on instinct, the lover's bite spicing the pleasure with a hint of pain, though his skin was intact. Desire surged through his body, rippling out from his neck where Iruka was nibbling and sucking with abandon, knowing how hot it made him. He thrust his hips again, grinding his cock against Iruka's fingers until the assault on his neck ceased. Panting, he looked at Iruka's handsome face, mirroring his own desire even so shortly after his release.

Iruka smirked. "Did you think I wasn't planning to tip the Chef?" he asked, cheeks flushing from lewd boldness, still stroking Kakashi's big cock.

Kakashi shook his head, panting slightly, a happy smile on his face. Iruka kissed his nose, then moved to kneel in the cushions, pulling Kakashi up with him.

"Now," Iruka began, moving to his feet and helping Kakashi to stand beside him. "I want you to come with me into the shower, and I want us to get all wet and soapy…" Iruka tipped his chin and licked Kakashi's lower lip, "And I want _this_," he squeezed the Jounin's erection with his hand, "Inside _me_."

Grinning, Iruka turned, leading Kakashi towards the shower by his cock.

Kakashi's merry laughter echoed down the hall as he allowed himself to be led by his eager lover, his heart fluttering and his body not at all objecting to Iruka's plans. This was just one of the thousands of reasons why he loved Iruka—even the genius Copy Ninja couldn't predict the man's innumerable appetites! He shrugged, happy to switch it up now and again, and he sighed audibly in perverted bliss for Iruka's benefit.

It really had turned out to be a very, _very_ good day!

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[to be continued...]


	5. Chapter 5

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**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 5:

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Sasuke opened his eyes, feeling much more rested and normal than when he'd awoken yesterday to Kakashi-sensei's aggravating doorbell torture.

The morning sun was trying desperately to break through the heavy draperies, creating a peaceful, hazy twilight in his room. Sasuke lay still beneath his covers, content for the moment to enjoy the peace of his house before he rose for the day. He was curled on his side, facing the middle of his overlarge bed, and so all he had to do to see his companion was raise his rich black eyes three inches.

Most of him felt silly, staring into the lifeless black eyes of Naruto's green frog wallet. He'd emptied it from his pouch yesterday evening and decided to place it carefully on the pillow next to his, entertaining the piece of his heart that still believed one day Naruto could belong to him.

Sasuke could see in his mind what it would be like to wake up next to his teammate, Naruto sprawled on his back in only boxers. He could imagine Naruto sleeping deeply, barely stirring as an imaginary Sasuke slid over to curl his body against him. Sasuke could imagine the feel of Naruto's chest rising and falling beneath his cheek, the simple pleasure of entwining their legs together and sliding his palm up Naruto's chest to rest above his steady heartbeat. Naruto's arm would naturally shift to accommodate him, pulling him closer to press a gentle kiss into dark hair as he began to wake.

Sasuke closed his eyes to preserve the fantasy, then opened them again and sat up. He picked the frog up from the pillow, pleading in silence for any suggestions as to how to win back its owner, but knowing he'd get no response. He offered a kiss to the top of its ridiculous head anyhow, and set it back on his pillow, then crawled out of bed, ready to start the day.

He moved to the large mirror in the corner of his room, and turned to look at the injured side of his face. It looked a hell of a lot better than yesterday, but was still tender to his probing fingertips, and the colors had only half faded. He'd spent most of the previous evening in meditation, willing his body to focus its energies on healing the damage, even taking an herbal infusion in order to sleep undisturbed for the last twelve hours.

Apparently it worked; what had been a furious tangle of purple, blue and black yesterday was now only a half-hearted grappling of purple, rust and ochre. It also didn't hurt as much when he opened and closed his jaw.

He stretched, yawning, and turned towards the bathroom to get cleaned up. The extra sleep had done him good; he felt wide awake, and his limbs were restless from sitting still for more than a day. He'd skipped anything too physical so he'd have all his chakra in reserve to heal his face, and he could already tell that he'd go crazy cooped up in his empty house for too much longer, even if he usually preferred to be away from most people.

Sasuke emerged from his bathroom with clean teeth, clean skin, and clean, thick black hair that he rubbed down with his towel until it was mostly dry. He'd grown his hair out a some since he'd become Chuunin, but he didn't own a brush—he simply put some mousse on his palms and combed his fingers through his tresses, giving his head a quick couple of shakes before letting it air dry. His hair was always perfect this way, and he had absolutely no clue how envious the females of Konoha would be if they suspected he could achieve such sexiness in about thirty seconds.

He dressed in his regular ninja garb, and hopped down the stairs to his kitchen, putting the kettle on for tea, and grimacing at the remaining cartons of curry in his freezer. His stomach growled, and he decided that he was going to have to get some groceries—_today_, somehow. He could _not_ live another two whole days on curry. Making a mental grocery list, he took out his rice cooker and fixed curry for what he hoped would be the last time.

Sasuke was just about finished eating breakfast when he sensed who could only be Kakashi-sensei coming towards his house at a casual walking pace. Sasuke had expected the man to show up sometime that morning either for training, or to check up on him, so he stayed right where he was in the living room. Eyes buried in his ANBU manual and finishing his meal at his own pace, Sasuke heard his sensei open his front door and take off his sandals, humming something tuneless from behind his mask.

He didn't bother to look when Kakashi came into the room and sat across from him… until the Jounin leaned forward across the table and intruded in his personal space.

"Good-morn-ing, Sasuke-kuuuun!" Kakashi greeted him stupidly, his one visible eye squinting in a happy crescent.

Sasuke put his book down on the table, his sharp eyes taking in Kakashi's obvious grin beneath his mask, the glowing skin on his visible cheek, and the faint, dark circle under his eye.

"I don't even want to know," he told his sensei honestly, his brain flashing briefly to the intimate memory of Iruka he'd shared yesterday.

Kakashi simply laughed, "Oh ho, Sasuke," he winked his blue eye, "It'll be your turn soon enough!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes in denial, hiding the irrational flip of anticipation in his stomach by picking up his book and taking another bite of curry. Kakashi just hummed to himself, drumming his fingers on the table and effectively ruining Sasuke's concentration. Eventually he sighed, glaring, then closed his book and took his dishes into the kitchen. He returned to the living room, leaning in the doorway and crossing his arms while watching his sensei's fingers begin toying with one of the pockets of his flak jacket.

"Oi," Sasuke called. "Are we training or what?"

Kakashi sighed, rising to his feet, his face taking on a slightly more serious expression. "Of course, Sasuke-kun." He walked over to him, "I see you've healed quite a bit since yesterday morning."

Sasuke let his sensei turn his head and examine his left cheek, gingerly touching here and there to see how his injury had progressed.

"Yeah," he answered, wincing once or twice at the Jounin's touch.

Kakashi fished into one of his pouches and pulled out a small paper envelope. "Here," he said, offering it to Sasuke who took it and held it to his nose, then raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I got it from Shizune this morning. You mix it with tea and it boosts your chakra's healing abilities. With your high level of chakra you'll heal almost as quickly as Naruto. _Probably_. But she said to take it before you go to sleep, so you'll want to wait until tonight."

Sasuke tapped the envelope against his hand, brightening at the idea of healing quicker. And Shizune was almost as good as Tsunade-sama when it came to medicine.

"Er, thanks," he nodded. The Jounin waved it off as Sasuke went back into the kitchen and stashed the envelope with his jars of tea.

"What kind of training are you up for this morning? Taijutsu? Chidori? _Isshin-no-Jutsu_?"

Sasuke chuckled, "Is that what we're going to call it? '_One-mind jutsu_?'" They moved towards the front door and their two pairs of sandals.

Kakashi shrugged, "Oh I just made that up right now. It's your jutsu; did you already name it?" He pushed open the door and the two of them walked out into the sunny front courtyard.

Sasuke shook his head, "Isshin-no-Jutsu is fine. But—" he made his voice serious, holding his hand up as he faced his sensei, "We're _not_ practicing it today. Not if you're still giddy from a night with Iruka-sensei."

Kakashi smirked, attempting to elbow him in the ribs. "You _sure_ you don't want to know what amazing things can happen when you cook dinner for someone? Huh? _Huh_?"

Sasuke put some space between them, crossing his arms, "I'm not even old enough to hear about it, so spare me the details."

Kakashi grinned, "Only for ten more days, Sasuke-kun!" The Jounin winked suggestively and actually giggled.

Sasuke watched his sensei laughing without a care in the world, and sighed. He didn't even want to think about his upcoming birthday.

He gazed to the side of the house, looking behind it with his mind's eye and picturing the rocky cliffs across the Uchiha Lake. Training with Chidori would be the most productive, but the most chakra depleting… so it probably wasn't a good idea until he'd finished healing his cheek. And Isshin-no-jutsu was _definitely_ out.

In a spark of inspiration he turned back to Kakashi, "Do you have your bells with you?"

The Jounin looked him over, all joking aside. Sasuke stared back, waiting for a response; the sun beat down on both of them in the silence. By way of answering, Kakashi suddenly bolted around the side of the house almost faster than Sasuke could see.

Sasuke hesitated in surprise for only an instant, and then he took off after his sensei, his eyes bleeding to red and his hands armed with shuriken. _'This is more like it,'_ he thought, feeling the wind against his face as he ran over Uchiha property in pursuit of a tiny bell in the possession of a perverted Jounin. His mouth quirked in a half smile, pleased to be finally doing something that felt natural.

With restless energy coursing eagerly through his body, he felt a surge of satisfaction that Kakashi-sensei would definitely not have time to read his trashy novel.

* * *

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Sasuke tied on his hitai-ate for the second time that day, his hair half damp from his second shower.

He was dressed in his casual ninja garb—black shorts, tight black shirt, black sandals. (He looked good in black.) He moved to regard himself in his large, oval mirror, not seeing the sultry lines of his lean form or the handsome definition of his features, but memorizing the parts of his face that showed his injury.

He experimented with different levels of genjutsu, making hand seals and finally projecting the least detectable illusion he could come up with, showing to others that his skin was creamy and perfect. It was a big risk leaving his house half-healed, for he really didn't want anyone to discover that he'd been injured; it was too humiliating to imagine how all the annoying fangirls would mob him in concern like they had before whenever he'd gotten hurt on missions. He shivered. Tsunade-sama would be the worst; he definitely had to avoid her. Thank God Kakashi had gone to Shizune for medicine instead.

Despite the risks, he believed the jutsu would work; he was gambling on the odds that no one in Konoha would expect him to be using genjutsu on his appearance—as the last of the Uchiha clan his looks were almost legendary. Satisfied with his disguise and mulling over his mental grocery list, he grabbed his backpack and made his way out of his house and through the deserted streets of the Uchiha district.

Downtown Konoha was bustling, all kinds of people flooding the stores in late afternoon to purchase what they needed to feed their families, or mingling on corners as they waited for tables to open up in the most popular restaurants and cafés.

Sasuke groaned at the timing—he'd neglected to consider that today was _Wednesday_, which meant all the Genin and brand new Chuunin would be crowded into the arcade, trying to look cool while playing games for half price. The arcade, unfortunately, was directly on the way to the Supermarket, and he'd have to pass by it or take a several block detour.

As he walked closer he could see a group of girls just inside the door with their sodas. He grimaced. If Naruto was with him, they'd be a little less annoying—something about the blond kept them more or less at bay. But on his own Sasuke could be sure they'd attempt any type of molestation they could think of, and it was tiresome in the extreme.

Sure enough, as he approached the storefront he heard a shriek of excitement, echoed by a chorus of thirteen-year-old voices.

"Sasuke-kuuuuun! Sasuke-kuuuuuun!"

He kept his steady pace, refusing to acknowledge them as they flooded out of the arcade in all colors and shapes, waving and desperately calling to him:

_"Where are you going, Sasuke-kuuuun?"  
"Hey there, Sasuke-kuuuuun!"  
"Wanna play a game with me, Sasuke-kuuuuun?"  
"Can I come with you, Sasuke-kuuuuun?"  
"Want a soda, Sasuke-kuuuun?"  
"No, he's going to share mine, right Sasuke-kuuuun?"_

One of them tried to grab his arm; he glanced down at her bristly, orange pig-tails for a second before brushing her off. Surely she knew that was way too much blush? He adroitly avoided being surrounded and continued on his way, without even so much as a backward glance. He shook his head, hearing their collective sighs and gasps of "_Sasuke-kun's soooooo cool_!"

Thankfully, the Supermarket wasn't a 'cool' hang-out for beginner ninjas; he hoped he'd get through his shopping without incident. It was a small consolation that at least now he knew his genjutsu was working.

Sasuke moved through the aisles of the supermarket, barely acknowledging the adults who greeted him, his mind busily creating recipes for the next few days—not one of them contained the word _curry_. He'd picked out several vegetables in his basket and was looking over the cantaloupes, giving one a thump to check if it was ripe when he heard his name belted across several rows of produce:

"_SASUKE!_"

Sasuke froze.

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Naruto wandered the aisles of the crowded supermarket, his small shopping basket crammed full of instant ramen packages.

He let his eyes roam over the various foodstuffs on the long, deep shelf in front of him, trying to decide if there was anything else he'd like to eat. Nothing seemed to grab him. Naruto grumbled impatiently, fingering the small red swirl over his sternum that decorated the front of his white shirt, and meandered into the next aisle on his fourth or fifth lap.

He'd wanted to go for Ramen with Iruka-sensei, but Iruka was busy at the mission office. He still felt a bit indignant that Iruka had ordered him to try to eat something other than ramen at least once in a while—but what could _possibly_ be as good?

It was now the end of the last aisle before the produce section, and not wanting to loop all the way back to the beginning like he'd been doing for nearly an hour Naruto grabbed a small box at random and tossed it in his basket. He glanced at it as he escaped from the crammed aisles and rounded the corner to the open produce area. He'd figure out what "Pocky" was later, he decided, as he made his way towards the colorful arrangements of fruits and vegetables to the left up ahead. Kakashi sometimes brought him fruit, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to get some on his own.

The way was slow, as he had to avoid choosy moms, shopping carts, and active young shinobi at every step. He scanned the dazzling mixture of colors and shapes, trying to find the stand of oranges, when his heart skipped a beat—his eyes halted on a black haired ninja whose beauty stood out like a rare jewel mixed into thousands of river pebbles.

Naruto froze, dropping his basket where he stood, his stomach lurching at the sight of his rival examining the fruit in front of him with the usual attention to detail. Naruto's eyes searched Sasuke's face, but he could see no trace of injury—he looked perfectly fine!

The relief at seeing Sasuke so obviously healthy and doing something so mundane was an enormous weight from his shoulders. Maybe there was hope yet that things could get back to normal.

His excitement bubbled up inside him, bursting out in a boisterous shout: "_SASUKE!_"

His quick reflexes had him through the crowd and approaching his rival in no time. Sasuke turned from the cantaloupe he'd been inspecting and faced him, taking a step back and bumping into the display. Naruto saw those black eyes flash briefly in alarm as he shortened the distance between them, but Sasuke chose to lean back against the stand, quickly recovering and facing him with a practiced look of coolness and ease.

"_Sasuke_!" Naruto exclaimed again, breathless as he stopped before him, his face both relieved and serious as their eyes met. He was so happy to see him, he grabbed his shoulder and shook him affectionately. "You're all right!"

Sasuke nodded, not moving out of his grasp. "I was so worried," Naruto sighed dramatically, letting go of Sasuke's shoulder to run both hands through his mussed yellow hair.

"I should have known that you'd be okay," he said, grinning and reaching out towards him again, his tone flavored with playful admiration, "You're an Uchiha after all!"

He put his hand straight to Sasuke's left cheek and _pinched_.

Sasuke jerked and let out a startled breath, his left hand smacking Naruto's wrist away in instinctual defense, eyes narrowed either in concentration or calculation. Naruto's brows met on his forehead, understanding the meaning behind his teammate's reaction. Naruto slowly reached upward to touch his cheek again, and just as he thought—Sasuke closed a hand on his wrist, stopping him. They glared at one another.

"That _hurt_, didn't it?" Naruto questioned, his voice stern. He didn't fight against Sasuke's grip, but he didn't lower his hand either, so Sasuke held on to it, keeping it several inches away from his cheek.

"Tch," Sasuke replied, not admitting to the pain, but not denying it either. He raised his eyes and turned his head to the left, retreating with his usual pose of bored superiority while also further protecting the injured side of his face.

"How bad is it?" Naruto questioned, his voice quieter, but stiff with irritation. His heart was tight. He was hiding it somehow, but it was obvious that Sasuke had felt pain, and he had to know how much he'd hurt him. He had to know so he could _somehow_ make it right.

Sasuke only shrugged. Naruto grabbed his shoulder with his free hand and shook him none too gently. "Bastard!"

Sasuke turned back to look at him, showing his plain discomfort at their public location. His voice hissed through his teeth, "Let go, moron."

Naruto shook him again, "Not until you tell me how bad it is."

Sasuke said nothing, choosing to glare for all he was worth. Naruto focused on Sasuke's face, comparing the right side to the left, noting the minute differences. His cheek had felt completely normal, and Sasuke's skin was a rich, uniform color–nothing strange there. But the skin around his left eye was different…like it was the tiniest bit swollen. And when he compared the angles of his cheekbones, the left cheek was slightly different. Puffier perhaps.

On the surface he looked the same, but Kakashi had taught them both to look underneath the underneath. Naruto gave a dry chuckle; Sasuke really had created a very good illusion, virtually undetectable. Except for the one who also knew the whole story—Naruto got no satisfaction from being the one ninja who could, or would see through it.

"Genjutsu right?" He questioned, as Sasuke's sulk became a sneer. Naruto let go of his shoulder and raised two fingers to his lips. "I could dispel it myself…" he trailed his voice off, knowing that one simple word would reveal Sasuke's true face to everyone in the market.

Sure, Sasuke could probably reactivate it, maybe even immediately, but he counted on the pride of the Uchiha to choose to avoid such attention. Sasuke glared at him, flinging Naruto's wrist away in irritation.

"It's nothing," he seethed, glancing at the people all around them.

Naruto flicked his eyes from one side to the other, acknowledging that he was aware they were in public and then crossing his arms over his white shirt.

"I'm not leaving you until I'm satisfied you're okay," he said. He meant it literally.

Sasuke sighed, his eyes narrowing in that concentrated, calculating way. Naruto wouldn't back down—even though it was awkward and maddening to stand there in a face-off, he wanted to make things right. And that meant they couldn't hide things from each other anymore. He waited for Sasuke's response, senses alert for any ninja trickery.

After a moment, Sasuke's face seemed to relax, the corner of his mouth quirking in that way of his. His rival took a small step forward, then another, closing the gap between them while staring into Naruto's deep blue eyes. Naruto uncrossed his arms, bracing his shoulders and watching, wary.

Sasuke moved so there was barely more than an inch of empty space between their bodies, his extra height allowing him to look downward at Naruto. Naruto's mouth went dry. Sasuke was close enough to him that he could feel that inch of space get steadily warmer from their combined body heat. He tried to keep his face rebellious, though the rest of him was quite distracted.

Sasuke was trying to make him back up! The _bastard!_ Backing up meant backing down, and he wouldn't give in—he'd stand there all day long. _Sasuke_ would have to be the one to back up.

But even as the seconds ticked by, Sasuke didn't. He stood there, oh so close to him. A tilt of either of their chins would bring their mouths together, and Naruto felt a sheen of sweat break out on his forehead as the tension mounted; he realized in dismay that he had to fight just as hard to keep from moving _forward_ as he fought to keep from stepping back.

When he spoke, Sasuke's voice was a velvety whisper, "_I_ am going to finish my shopping, and then go home and cook dinner. _You_ do what you like."

Naruto stood there, hypnotized, and then Sasuke turned his back on him and resumed thumping on several cantaloupe.

Naruto took a deep breath, watching the back of Sasuke's head while trying to clear his own. He let all his breath out at once.

_Okay_. He was okay. He had two options. He could grab Sasuke and dispel the genjutsu by force, which would make Sasuke mad as hell. Or, he could let Sasuke finish shopping before forcing him to reveal his injury somewhere else. '_Let's go with option two_,' Naruto decided, as it seemed reasonable enough. He'd just keep an eye on Sasuke to make sure he didn't try to lose him, either in the crowded store or on the way to his side of town. And then he'd make him drop the genjutsu.

Naruto brightened; maybe he'd get to finally see where Sasuke lived… Maybe they'd even eat dinner together! That would be… That would be_ nice_.

"Oi," he taunted, moving up beside his rival and watching him meticulously make his fruit selection. "I hope you're cooking Ramen!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "_Ultimate_ moron," he muttered, putting a round cantaloupe in his basket and moving down the aisle.

Naruto chuckled, lacing his fingers behind his head and trailing along after Sasuke as he silently and methodically handled twenty items for every one that went into his basket. He sighed, glad that Ramen was Ramen—he didn't have to palm, sniff, or squeeze each carton to know that it would be good. Eventually Sasuke seemed to have everything he'd come for, and he stopped near the check out.

"Aren't you buying anything?" Sasuke asked, making Naruto realize he was empty handed. Naruto smacked his forehead, having totally forgotten his own basket somewhere in the fruit area.

"Uh, yeah," Naruto chuckled sheepishly, "I think I left my basket over by the oranges, heh heh…" he trailed off.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Go and get it then." He set his basket on the floor and crossed his arms, as if he intended to wait. Naruto's eyes narrowed, not trusting him to still be there when he came back.

"Fine. But you're coming with me," Naruto picked up the basket in one hand, and grabbed Sasuke's hand with the other, charging back to the produce section.

He felt a thrill from the feel of their hands touching, but figured if he kept them moving fast enough he could keep from being murdered by his teammate long enough to enjoy it. Sasuke pulled against his grip, and Naruto thought he heard a muttered "_Shit_!" But Sasuke wasn't struggling in earnest, and when they found the basket full of Ramen, he acted utterly indignant–although he waited for _Naruto_ to let go first.

They walked back to the check out stands, hands to themselves, and paid for their groceries.

Sasuke put most of his items into the backpack he'd brought, but still had a full bag to carry in his hands. Naruto hadn't brought anything with him to stash his Ramen, so he had three oddly-shaped, bulging bags to carry as well. Sasuke set off towards his clan's district, and Naruto followed him, since he didn't know the whole way. Amazingly, they didn't run into any of Sasuke's fangirls—Naruto _detested_ the lot of them.

As they walked in silence, Naruto had time to wonder what Sasuke's house might be like. His eyes went wide when they came up to the towering, whitewashed arch at the entryway to the Uchiha district. Naruto hadn't realized how powerful the Uchiha clan had been; he was as young as Sasuke when the tragedy happened, and even though they'd been teammates for years he'd never been to his home.

"Whoa," Naruto gaped, looking up at the arch as they passed through the large open gates with the Uchiha fan engraved on either side. Sasuke watched him, but didn't comment, moving calmly through the deserted streets and empty buildings.

Naruto was even more impressed when he saw the house Sasuke lived in. He gasped like a foreign tourist as his eyes climbed the three floors of the exterior, taking in the craftsmanship of the wooden beams and the custom tile of the roof. Sasuke walked up to the front door and opened it, like it was normal to live in a house like this, and obviously for him, it was. Naruto made some quick calculations, figuring that his entire one room apartment would probably only take up one-quarter of one floor of this house. _Whoa._

Naruto set down his bags of Ramen in the genkan, and took off his sandals. He followed Sasuke into the house, turning to the right and finding himself in the kitchen. It was big and bright, with tons of counter space and wooden cabinets along both longer walls. The shorter wall opposite the doorway housed the refrigerator and a few appliances, and a pocket door that probably hid a good sized pantry area. The center island had a cooktop as well as more preparation surface, and had room for a couple of bar stools on one side… but there weren't any in this kitchen.

With Sasuke living alone, he probably didn't need them.

Sasuke put his bags on that counter and began organizing his groceries, moving some items into cupboards, some to the refrigerator, and the last he lined up on the marble cutting surface next to the sink. Naruto leaned against the door jamb, watching him move around his kitchen, getting out utensils and ingredients to prep for dinner.

With no warning Sasuke tossed him a sweet potato, which he caught automatically in the air.

"Wash that for me," he said, his voice commanding, but not demanding.

Naruto rubbed the skin of the potato with his fingers, then walked over to the sink and held it under cold water, taking the vegetable scrubber Sasuke handed him and scraping the skin clean. It was kind of strange, standing in Sasuke's house, helping him cook dinner. There was nothing really weird about washing a sweet potato… but it was something _domestic_, and domestic and Sasuke didn't seem to go together, much less _domestic_ and _Sasuke_ and _Naruto_.

Of course Naruto knew Sasuke had to be able to cook; he'd been living alone for nearly ten years. But he'd never seen him do it, aside from grilling fresh fish on missions or something like that. Naruto watched him intently from the corner of his eye while Sasuke got out a wok and heated it up, mixed something in a bowl further down the counter, took out a knife and sliced an onion in fantastic speed, each section the same exact thickness.

Naruto started when he realized Sasuke was staring back at him, catching him in a trance. He didn't say anything, just held out his hand for the sweet potato. Naruto turned off the faucet, shaking the excess water from the potato and handing it to his teammate, wincing as Sasuke ran his thumb over an area that had been over-scrubbed from his inattention. Thankfully he didn't comment.

Sasuke transferred the sweet potato to his left hand, grasping the knife in his right. Naruto just barely saw his eyes turn red with the Sharingan before he tossed the potato in the air, moving the knife with blurred speed and then catching each perfect slice before it touched the countertop. Naruto's jaw dropped—how did Uchiha Sasuke turn cutting a sweet potato into something _sexy_? He made a mental note to try it when he got home.

Sasuke got out more things: a rice cooker, a piece of white bread, and several large, juicy prawns. Naruto tried to make sense of what he was seeing, the ingredients not fitting any recipe he knew.

"I'm making Tempura Donburi." Sasuke must have read his mind.

"Well that's obvious," Naruto lied, not able to keep his cheeks from heating in embarrassment from his lack of cooking experience.

Sasuke chuckled as he mixed and tested and set everything up just right. "Hn," was his only comment.

Naruto leaned his back against the counter and watched him from across the island, folding his arms in a relaxed manner. He watched Sasuke's wide, muscular shoulders move ever so slightly as his hands prepared their dinner. His blue eyes slid down his teammate's spine to his narrow hips and cute, tight butt that practically _begged_ him to go pinch it. Naruto's mouth watered.

Cooking was _fascinating_. Especially if you were watching an utterly gorgeous Chef… but he really shouldn't be thinking about things like that.

"Um, Sasuke…" he asked, hesitantly, seeking a more appropriate distraction.

"What is it?"

"What's the bread for?" Naruto scrunched up his face, confused.

Sasuke half-smiled over his shoulder, cutting a small cube of bread and then tossing it into the hot oil in the wok.

"If this turns brown in one minute, then the oil is the exact right temperature," he answered, his voice unusually devoid of condescension.

Naruto thought about the other guys their age. He doubted even Neji knew this little cooking trick, so he was glad Sasuke didn't expect him to know it. It did make him wonder however—was Sasuke just as thorough with _everything_ he did? Naruto shuddered, his mind recalling how good Sasuke's tongue had felt two days ago, and could only imagine what the _rest_ of him could do. He closed his eyes. It definitely wasn't a good idea to keep thinking in that direction, here in Sasuke's kitchen, just the two of them, with no chaperones for miles…

Naruto stood up, stepping a bit further away from his rival, restless from pent-up attraction and confusing emotions.

"Um… can I help with anything?" He wanted something to keep him busy.

Sasuke looked up from his cooking, glancing around. "Can you handle making some tea?" He cocked an eyebrow in challenge.

Naruto snorted, "Asshole…" He went over to the stove and picked up the tea kettle, filling it with water, and then setting it to boil. He moved around Sasuke, opening cupboards and peering inside, searching for the mugs and tea.

Without turning around, Sasuke pointed behind him and then further to the side, "Tea is in that one. Mugs are over there."

Naruto moved to where he pointed, choosing two mugs and setting them on the counter with the teapot and tray. He opened the cupboard with several jars of dry tea leaves, reading the different notes Sasuke had written on the labels. Between two of the jars he found a small paper packet. He shook it near his ear, hearing a powdery substance shift inside.

"What kind of tea is this?" he asked, turning and holding up the unmarked little envelope.

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, seeing the packet, and in a flash he'd snatched it from Naruto's fingers and tucked it into one of his pouches.

"What the hell!" Naruto objected, glaring at his rival. Sasuke glared back, still cooking their dinner. Naruto turned back to the cupboard, selecting the first jar his hand came to, and preparing their tea.

"I just asked a question," he muttered angrily, turning the stove off and letting the leaves steep in the kettle. Still annoyed, he turned back to Sasuke, moving around the island to stand close behind his right shoulder and peer at what he was doing.

"You're always hiding things from me," he said pointedly.

Sasuke glared over at him as he finished cooking the battered prawns in the hot oil. Naruto glared back, their eyes meeting through the thickness of many things unsaid, before the Uchiha turned away.

"Dinner's almost ready," he said. Naruto let himself stand close to his teammate for another moment before stepping back.

"Where should I put the tea?" he asked.

Sasuke nodded back through the doorway, "The living room is across the hall. I can take care of the rest."

Naruto poured the hot tea from the kettle into the teapot, and loaded it with the mugs onto a tea tray. He made his way down the short hallway, past the front door and into a gorgeous sitting room. The tatami mats were cool underneath his feet, and the late afternoon sun was just beginning to pour its orange light through the big windows. He set everything down on the low table, and then moved around the room in awe, eyes drinking in the beautiful ancient vases and wall hangings. There were Shoji screens in two corners, and at the far right was a traditional screen door with elaborate woodcarvings that must open to the back of the house.

He'd had no idea that Sasuke's house would be so nice. Maybe an understated display of his clan's wealth, but an unmistakable one at that; it made him wonder just how rich his teammate was. Naruto hadn't considered it before, and it boggled his mind even further when he considered how many decisions Sasuke had been forced to make since he was a very small child.

Sasuke must have inherited everything from his entire clan when he was only eight. It was hard to project that into a number.

The Uchiha district was empty, but not in ruins; the buildings were structurally sound, just lacking furniture or inhabitants. Sasuke's house looked well kept, clean and decorated with an artist's tasteful eye. He'd probably salvaged what he thought was important, and taken over the one house instead of trying to maintain them all, or renting them out. Sasuke liked his privacy. Naruto _hmmm_-ed, reaching up to touch the exquisite fan of red and white feathers on the wall in front of him, the symbol of the Uchiha name.

His rival entered at just that moment, carrying their dinner on a tray and kneeling on one of the cushions. It smelled delicious, and Naruto followed his nose eagerly over to the table and knelt across from Sasuke.  
Sasuke passed him a large square bowl, some chopsticks, and a chopstick rest in the shape of a Koi fish.

Naruto poured their tea, his eyes taking in the work of art that Sasuke had prepared. In the bottom of the bowl was a mound of rice, the prawns and asparagus tempura arranged in a pyramid and held in place by rings of tempura fried onions. Sweet potatoes and broccoli circled the base, all of it drizzled with a thick, dark, sweet smelling sauce that dripped down the tempura and soaked the rice at its outer edges. It looked _heavenly_.

Sasuke sat proudly across from him, playing the gracious host. Naruto grinned, taking up his chopsticks and saying with gusto, "Itadakimasu!"

Sasuke sipped his tea, not quite hiding a small smile that made Naruto's stomach do a little flip. Damn, he was so sexy when he wasn't brooding. Oi.

Naruto took bite after bite, the temperature perfect, the sauce deliciously tangy-sweet, the rice balancing the flavors expertly. He made appreciative noises with every bite, trying not to talk with his mouth full—which meant he didn't talk at all since he was busy alternating between eating food or drinking tea.

Sasuke ate at his usual, measured pace, trying not to seem like he was watching him, but Naruto could feel dark eyes following his movements. He made a big show of how much he loved the food, and soon his bowl was empty and his tummy was bulging, and he leaned back on his hands with a big grin on his face.

"Damn…" he said jovially, "You really are a tensai, aren't ya?"

"Tch, idiot," was the reply, but Naruto could tell that the compliment had pleased him. He wasn't at all ready to tell Sasuke how he really felt…but at least this way he felt like he'd told him something.

Naruto closed his eyes in happy gluttony, content to enjoy the ensuing silence while Sasuke finished his meal. He watched him through his long golden lashes, so utterly graceful even when doing something as simple as eating, and his stomach dropped even further. He may have appeased one hunger, but now it only made _another_ one more impatient.

'_Graceful and deadly_', he thought as he secretly watched his rival. That's exactly what Uchiha Sasuke was, and he _liked_ it. Not for the first time, Naruto was extremely grateful that Sasuke was on his team and not someone else's—he wouldn't want to compete against him for real. Naruto opened his eyes, remembering a certain conversation from the previous day.

"Hey, Sasuke," he began, "Do you know anything about the Festival of the Golden Kunai?"

Sasuke put his chopsticks down, and sipped his tea, nodding. "The one starting in a couple of days?"

Naruto winced. How in hell did everyone know about it but him? He shook off the annoyance in the interests of finding out some information.

"Yeah…there's supposed to be a competition, a scavenger hunt or something, with a prize for the strongest ninja."

Sasuke paused, holding his tea mug tightly, then said, "The Golden Kunai."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah! Yeah! Kiba says it's worth like five houses or something, but I don't care about that. I'm more interested in the Hunt. He said sometimes the Hunt is so hard that nobody wins!" Naruto sighed, "I don't know what's involved, but I really want to win."

Sasuke set his mug down, and with elbows on the table laced his fingers together in front of his face, the pose he preferred when pondering a strategy of some kind.

"It's a tough competition. Winning won't be easy."

Naruto glared, "Don't even try to talk me out of it." He sat up in excitement, shifting his dishes to the side and putting his elbows on the table. "I don't care who I have to beat, I'm gonna win!"

Sasuke glared back, "Idiot. I'm not saying it's impossible. But the last winner wasn't… _normal_. I'm just saying it'll be tough."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow, "What do you know about the Hunt?" Then he had an awful idea, "Unless you're going to compete too…?"

Sasuke shook his head, his voice passionate, "_Never_."

Naruto's brow creased, impatient, "But why not?"

What the hell was this Scavenger Hunt that Sasuke didn't want to participate? Not that he wanted to be pitted against his rival, exactly, but it didn't quite follow. Sasuke grimaced, ignoring the question.

"Historically, it's Chuunin vs. Jounin, with prizes for the winner from each side. The final two ninja compete in a match for the Grand Prize, the Golden Kunai. The natures of the competitions are set up by the Hokage. In the last Hunt, Sandaime had two hundred water balloons hidden in a certain area of forest. At midnight, all participants were to find or steal the water balloons, and protect them through the night. At dawn, the single Chuunin and Jounin with the most intact water balloons were declared the first round winners, and then would have to fight each other in some way to earn the Golden Kunai." Sasuke shrugged, "I imagine this Hunt will be similar, but it will be up to Tsunade-sama to decide."

Naruto's intelligent mind was poring over the details he'd just learned. So in the Hunt, he'd have to be skilled enough to find the water balloons, and then also be skilled enough to protect them from all opponents. _Interesting_.

Naruto propped his head on his hand, fingers curling in his golden hair, equally amazed that Sasuke had just said more than two sentences, and willingly too. He sure knew a lot about the Hunt.

"How do you know all this?" He asked, finding it curious that Sasuke knew so much and still didn't want to participate. It sounded like a lot of fun, really.

Sasuke looked down into his mug, face carefully blank, before answering, "The previous winner told me."

Naruto quirked half of his mouth in thought, feeling that there had to be more to this. "So did they tell you what the final competition was? Or how they won?"

Sasuke shook his head, "There wasn't a second round. He won in the first round, eliminating _all_ the other shinobi in the Hunt by strategically finding and destroying every single water balloon–save for one. With no other qualified combatants, Sandaime awarded him the Golden Kunai and the event ended."

Naruto opened his eyes wide, "Whoa…"

They sat in silence. Naruto felt inspired by the story, and was amazed at the ninja's cleverness at finding a loophole to exploit—although he couldn't imagine any shinobi who could accomplish something like that, other than maybe the Fourth. But he'd died almost eighteen years ago, so …

Naruto was lost in thought when Sasuke's voice interrupted his concentration.

"Do you want to see it?"

Naruto looked at him blankly, "Pardon?"

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably, "The Golden Kunai."

Naruto laughed at the joke, "Yeah right! You were only," he counted in his mind, "_Seven_ at the last Festival. And you weren't a Chuunin yet either."

Sasuke glared at him, then shrugged it off, looking only mildly irritated. His next words were all the explanation needed. "It's _Itachi's_."

"Itachi…" Naruto repeated, watching his teammate closely. He sat bolt upright.

_Itachi!_

Now that made sense, he was probably one of the most talented shinobi Konoha had ever produced. He could also understand why the subject was uncomfortable for Sasuke, with everything those two had been through. He felt embarrassed that he hadn't figured it out sooner.

"Er, hey, that's okay," Naruto said quickly, politely declining the offer. "I don't have to see it." He waved it off, wishing now that he'd never brought it up.

"I don't mind," Sasuke said, rising from the cushion and picking up his bowl. "It's … really something. You'd like it."

He walked out of the room and Naruto heard the clink of dishes in the sink. Naruto stacked their tea things carefully and carried the tray and his bowl into the kitchen as well. When Sasuke left the kitchen and began to climb the stairs, Naruto followed in silence. The stairs opened out on the second floor, and Naruto peeked from side to side, then turned and followed Sasuke up the next flight of stairs to the third floor.

They stepped out onto the covered balcony, and Naruto would have stopped to enjoy the view over Uchiha Lake, but instead shuffled on to catch up to his teammate. Sasuke slid open a door and stepped through, turning on a couple of floor lamps.

Like everything in the house he'd seen so far, Sasuke's bedroom was open space and muted luxury.

Naruto's eyes moved from the antique furniture, to the enormous bed, to the obscenely gilded mirror, to the hip red sofa on the far wall—all of it somehow matching its owner. He felt almost like he'd invaded his best friend's private sanctuary; everything in this room exuded Sasuke's keen intellect, appreciation of beautiful things, and of course, a strategic location that was easily defendable for a young man living on his own on the outskirts of the village. Naruto's eyes took everything in, though he tried not to pry.

Sasuke had crossed the room to an ebonized Mahogany display case. He opened a door, and Naruto moved quietly over to join him, several things behind the glass sparkling in invitation. Sasuke reached inside and closed his fingers around a small wooden box and withdrew it carefully, holding it out to Naruto.

Naruto met Sasuke's eyes before taking the box in his hands, surprised by the weight of solid gold and hardly able to believe that he was being permitted to look upon such a treasure.

Sasuke nodded to him, "Open it."

Naruto lifted the lid, and gasped at the terrible beauty of the Golden Kunai, seven inches long and set into a velvet cushion. The gold was polished to a high gloss, contrasting with the deeply engraved markings along each facet of the blade that had been defined by a dark patina. The widest area of the blade tapered to a slim handle, ridged evenly for proper grip, and twisting into a ringed finial.

Naruto stared, amazed that he was holding something so symbolic. Symbolic of the powerful Uchiha clan; symbolic of the beautiful and deadly relationship between two brothers. It was the epitome of weapon craftsmanship awarded to the reigning champion of shinobi, and he felt a mixture of nervous excitement as he held it, only one thought on his mind: He wanted to be the one to win it this time, not for the worth of the gold, but for what it represented.

It would take strength, cunning, and perseverance to make it to the final round, and winning this Hunt would help prove to himself—and to everyone else in Konoha—that his dreams were achievable.

"I can't believe someone actually made this…" Naruto couldn't bring himself to take it from the box, instead running the tip of his middle finger across the engravings and down the handle, feeling the details of the ridges and patterns carved into the cold metal.

"Itachi became an ANBU captain soon after winning it," Sasuke informed him.

That was no surprise if all the top ninja of the village had witnessed Itachi's uncontested win. Naruto nodded, closing the box and handing it back to him. Sasuke put it back in the display case and shut the doors.

"How many guys did he beat?" Naruto asked, wanting to figure the odds that he could also do something as spectacular as the infamous Uchiha Itachi.

Sasuke cocked his head, thinking. "There wasn't a prerequisite for competing, other than being Chuunin or Jounin…probably around fifty in all. But it could be different this time."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, sighing, "Man, I guess I better start training right away."

Funny how a simple word like "training" could change the whole dynamic of the room, bringing to mind the countless times they'd trained together, including the most recent _disaster_ of a sparring session.

They looked at each other, but quickly looked away when their eyes met. Both stood silently as the atmosphere grew awkward. Naruto shuffled, glancing around the room for something he could use to change the subject, but it only made him aware for the first time that he was alone with Sasuke in his _bedroom_. A bedroom with a very _large_, very _comfy_ looking bed. He gulped, not sure where to look or where to stand or how to get out of there without running away.

Naruto glanced back to Sasuke, and found he'd been looking at him, which made his face flush in a worthy imitation of Iruka-sensei. His blue eyes searched desperately around the room but kept coming back to the King sized bed and all the possible activities that could take place on its ample surface.

His brain wasn't cooperating, shooting him flashes of Sasuke's black hair fanned around him as he lay on his back, his lips parted and cheeks flushed in arousal, or Sasuke pinning him again, and rolling over and over several times as they fought for dominance on the plush surface of the blankets. He imagined lying curled up next to Sasuke, watching him sleep soundly, his head on a bright red pillow—

Naruto gasped, his full attention on Sasuke's pillows. He marched over and snatched his wallet off one of them, waving it in the air and coming back to glare at Sasuke.

"Where'd you get this!" He demanded, shocked to find it _there_ of all places.

Sasuke looked guilty and embarrassed for half a second, then straightened up and faced him, his words aiming to wound.

"You were in such a hurry to run away, Naruto, you left it at the river."

Naruto gaped like he'd been slapped, recoiling from the accusation. "That doesn't mean that you can decide things on your own and just take it!" He spat, his blue eyes flashing.

Sasuke's eyes flashed back at him, his voice rising, "One of us had to take responsibility and clean up the mess, moron!"

Naruto clenched his fists at his sides, "You didn't even think about how I'd react! You just took what you wanted, huh?"

Sasuke took a step towards him, his whole body rigid in fury, "AT LEAST I KNEW WHAT IT WAS I WANTED!"

Naruto stood still, stunned. They faced each other, hot, their energy buzzing with palpable electricity around them. He could hear their breathing, sharp and shallow, both of them lashing out in anger to cover up their real emotions. Naruto's heart beat rapidly. Who the hell did Sasuke think he was? Did he believe that he knew everything? Naruto might not be quite as smart as the Uchiha, but he certainly wasn't dumb. It made him boil all over again.

"Oi," he shouted, pointing at Sasuke's chest, "Next time you do that a little warning would be nice, Asshole!"

Sasuke blinked once in surprise, but immediately recovered his angry glare and shouted at equal volume, "Then next time I do it don't hit me if you freak out, Moron!"

This time Naruto flinched from guilt and embarrassment, his anger draining from his face. The electricity in the atmosphere dissipated, and Naruto almost felt cold without it. Sasuke was right; he shouldn't have hit him, even if he had been surprised.

"Sasuke…" he began, taking a step forward and lifting a hand to his rival's injured cheek.

Sasuke moved his head back out of range, not allowing the touch, but not swatting his hand away. Naruto let it fall to his side. His eyes were simpering blue as he gazed at his teammate, whose deep black eyes were still smoldering at the edges.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, looking at Sasuke and hoping his face conveyed the depth of his apology.  
Sasuke's shoulders lost only some of their angry rigidity, and his scowling face softened only a fraction as his eyes looked at the floor.

It was almost inaudible, but he heard his rival whisper, "Me too."

Naruto's heart twisted at the words, knowing how much it cost the Uchiha to say them. Sasuke was so rigid and guarded all the time, and yet he'd managed to bend enough to apologize in his own way. Naruto's heart melted—he definitely didn't want to have any reason to fight like this again.

He carefully stepped forward, this time raising his left hand to Sasuke's right cheek and placing his palm there. Sasuke looked at him, expression tense. Naruto held his gaze, his heart hammering in his chest and his stomach bubbling with butterflies as he took the plunge. He leaned forward and to the right, gently pressing his lips to Sasuke's injured cheekbone.

Naruto's senses narrowed for one split second, feeling the smooth warmth of Sasuke's skin and inhaling the scents of cardamom and sandalwood. He memorized it all in an instant—he might never have the chance to do this again. He slipped his fingers into dark silky hair as they curled on the back of Sasuke's neck, then he stepped away, trying not to shake from nervousness at what he'd just done. He put some distance between them, fighting not to giggle hysterically, which would be completely inappropriate and yet was almost irresistible.

Sasuke stood there completely still, at first with no change in his expression. But then Naruto's stomach squirmed as he saw a timid flush spread across Sasuke's one cheek. The genjutsu was still hiding the left side, and Sasuke looked so unbelievably cute blushing only halfway. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered lower, and lower, and Naruto shifted his feet to distract himself.

"Well, um," Naruto said, embarrassed, looking away, "I guess I should be going…"

He decided that he didn't need to see beneath the genjutsu after all. Sasuke clearly didn't want to show him, and it would only be more awkward right now if he did. He also wasn't sure how much longer he could take being in his bedroom.

Sasuke nodded, pulling something out of his shuriken pouch. Naruto recognized it as the packet he'd found earlier with the tea. Sasuke cleared his throat, offering the explanation as his half of the peace treaty.

"And I should take Shizune's medicine. It'll probably put me to sleep."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, "Is it that bad?"

Sasuke shrugged, "I told you already. It's nothing." He picked up Naruto's frog wallet where he'd dropped it during their argument, and handed it back to him. "Don't forget this."

Naruto blushed at him, taking his wallet and putting it away. Sasuke walked to his doorway and stepped to the side, gesturing to Naruto to precede him back to the ground floor. Naruto made his way hopping down the stairs and stopped to put on his sandals. Sasuke leaned against the wall, arms folded, looking beautiful and mysterious in the twilight of the shadowy entryway. At some point it had gotten dark outside—had he really been here that long?

Naruto picked up his grocery bags, and turned to his rival, a hundred different things he wanted to say all cramming together at the back of his tongue, jamming like a kink in a garden hose. Sasuke looked at him, crossing his arms as he leaned.

They stood there in the silence, until Sasuke cleared his throat, "There's… there's a good spot for training, past the Lake." He looked off into the corner, his usual look of boredom on his face. "If you want to use it. Tomorrow afternoon."

Naruto's face brightened, and he smiled, "Okay!" He turned and opened the door, looking back over his shoulder. "See you," he said before leaping through the doorway and off through the empty streets, running with abandon towards the heart of Konoha.

When he was a safe distance away from the Uchiha district, he gave a wild leap and cheer of giddy excitement, nearly spilling instant Ramen every which way.

* * *

[to be continued...]


	6. Chapter 6

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* * *

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**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 6:

* * *

Iruka's body felt heavy with sleepy contentment.

He breathed deep, the temperature of the bed exactly perfect; Kakashi's soothing fingers combing through his long brown hair in even strokes made him feel totally, peacefully protected. He sighed, shifting closer to rest his cheek on Kakashi's chest.

Kakashi moved his arms around him, tucking his head beneath his chin and going still so that Iruka could fall back asleep if he chose. Iruka lay there in bliss for several more minutes, letting his consciousness surface at its own pace; he trusted that Kakashi would wake him if he were in danger of being late, as he'd learned the consequences. He slipped his arms around the Jounin and hugged him tight, thankful for his presence and not wanting the moments to end. He felt Kakashi brush his lips across the top of his head.

Iruka lifted his chin, moving to kiss his lover good morning, and then he buried his face in the Jounin's neck, denying that _tomorrow_ had become _today_ so swiftly. Kakashi chuckled in amusement, resuming his languid combing of Iruka's hair.

Iruka sighed, his voice muffled against Kakashi's smooth skin, "I don't know what's worse."

Kakashi turned towards him, "Hmmmm?"

Iruka moved so he could look at Kakashi's face, and slid one of his hands into Kakashi's silver hair, curling a lock of it around and around his finger.

"I don't know what's worse," he repeated, "The times I have to watch you walk out the door for a mission, or the times _I'm_ the one who has to walk out the door."

Kakashi leaned forward and kissed the scar across the bridge of his nose, cradling his head with his strong hand.

"You're working too much, Iruka-sensei," he commented. Iruka nodded grimly.

"This festival business is exhausting. A double shift last night at the mission office, teaching during the day, another shift tonight…" he sighed. "I'll probably have to work during the Opening Ceremony as well."

Kakashi kissed his mouth, sliding a hand down the curve of his back. "I see."

Iruka let Kakashi maneuver his body so that he was straddling him on knees and elbows. Kakashi smirked, "Well then, I guess we better take advantage of the time we have."

Iruka bent his neck to touch his lips to Kakashi's throat, nibbling along his handsome jaw and then kissing his mouth eagerly. "Mmmm," he moaned, feeling Kakashi's hands stroke down his back in unison and grip his buttocks tightly.

"How much time do we have?"

His lover only chuckled, whispering against his lips, "Time enough."

* * *

--

* * *

After seeing Iruka off to work, Kakashi traversed the length of Konoha in invisible speed, heading towards the vacant Uchiha district to check in on his student one more time.

Sasuke should have taken Shizune's medicine last night, and he hoped to see a remarkable improvement—though he had to admit that Sasuke's spirit had a lot to do with how quickly he'd recover. He ducked under the majestic archway and zigzagged through the quiet streets, his feet kicking up only a minute amount of dust. He observed Sasuke's house from the outer wall, searching for signs of traps or an ambush, both of which would be a typical greeting.

Sensing only Sasuke's strong chakra presence emanating from the kitchen, Kakashi ambled casually across the courtyard and opened the front door.

"Yo," he called from the entryway, taking off his sandals.

Sasuke's voice answered him from around the corner, "Good morning, Kakashi- sensei."

He went into the bright kitchen, finding Sasuke standing before the island countertop piled with grocery bags and several yards of uncoiled ninja wire. That in itself was curious, but what made Kakashi gurgle in surprise was the sight of Sasuke's face as he turned to look at him with his usual smirk. Kakashi rushed over, grabbing his student's head and turning it back and forth to peer closely at his skin.

"_No way_…" he whispered, amazed that Shizune's medicine had worked so well. He caught Sasuke's glare at being manhandled, but poked and prodded to make sure he was truly as healed as he looked—there wasn't a single scratch on him!

Sasuke put up with it for a few moments before shaking him off, and brushing his own hand over his face. He tossed his head to shake his black locks back into place.

"Shizune is amazing," Kakashi commented, "I didn't expect it to work so well."

Sasuke lifted his fingers to trace the curve of his left cheekbone, almost as if he were remembering something.

"Yeah," he replied, "I slept a long time, but it was worth it." He resumed his project, stringing rounded objects on the ninja wire at even intervals.

"I made tea, Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke nodded to the far counter.

Kakashi moved across the kitchen, taking the steaming mug in his half-gloved hand. The mug was wider than the ones Sasuke used with his tea tray, and had ridges curving up the sides left visible by the potter. The inside glaze was white in contrast to the outer rusty-brown, accented with black markings that depicted a bamboo grove. Kakashi turned towards his student and leaned against the counter, lifting the mug to his lips.

Just as he was about to take a sip, Sasuke's red eyes glanced up at him, and Kakashi chuckled, lowering the mug.

"It's nice to see you're feeling better, too," his eye crinkled as he smiled, relieved that they were back to their normal pastimes.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, placing a lumpy bundle of items into the pillowcase at his feet, obviously annoyed that he hadn't caught the Jounin with his mask down. Kakashi watched him with interest, eyeing the assortment of things his student was working on, and analyzing the possibilities.

"Are those–" Kakashi started to ask, but Sasuke interrupted him.

"–Does Shizune know the medicine was for me?" he asked.

Kakashi regarded him shrewdly, and shook his head, chuckling, "Nope. I told her it was for Gai." Sasuke raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment.

Kakashi continued, "Anyway, Shizune is pretty busy with Tsunade-sama, getting ready for the festival. I doubt she remembers that I asked for it anyways."

Sasuke's body tensed; Kakashi could see his pulse beating faster in his neck.

"A big job, setting up a village-wide festival." Sasuke glanced up from his work, watching for his reaction and his reply.

Kakashi decided to test the theory budding in his mind, looking casually around Sasuke's kitchen and making mental notes.

"True. A lot of shinobi are still out on missions, so everyone's shorthanded—Iruka had to work a double shift last night at the mission office. Some will miss the festival altogether, although Tsunade is bringing back as many as possible."

Sasuke appeared only half interested, though it was obvious his ears were tuned into every nuance of Kakashi's voice. "Oh?" his student prodded.

Kakashi moved around the kitchen idly, sipping his tea when Sasuke wasn't looking. "Aburame Shibi and his son, along with Hyuuga Hinata will probably make it back from their mission in time, though Anko will probably miss everything. But it's been busy at the Hokage office aside from missions, what with all the liaising between Konoha and the Feudal Lords of Fire Country who'll be watching the…_fireworks_."

He'd left a deliberate pause, and smiled inwardly as Sasuke's shoulders twitched. Sasuke had clearly expected a different word, which revealed a great deal of what Sasuke thought he was hiding. Kakashi continued to stroll around the kitchen, peering into the wok on the counter by the refrigerator, and running his fingers across the nearly empty rice bag next to the rice cooker.

"The Feudal Lords are coming too?" Sasuke asked, "I thought this was a _ninja_ festival."

Kakashi considered how to respond, then decided to throw him a bone. Sasuke would be smart enough to read between the lines.

"They're always interested in visiting Konoha and seeing what we have to offer. Tsunade-sama relies on their continued support to keep things running smoothly for us, and this is a chance for them to see how valuable our village really is, while also enjoying our hospitality."

"I see," Sasuke seemed to be lost in thought, his hands moving methodically in their preparations. Kakashi glanced at him, amused at Sasuke's determination. He could think of several ways this festival could prove very fun for the both of them.

Moving around the island and casually examining the chopsticks in the dish rack, Kakashi changed the topic.

"Listen, Sasuke. Do you have any fancy Yukata?"

Sasuke's brows drew together, "I don't know. Why?"

"Tomorrow night is the Opening Ceremony of the Festival," he answered.

"So?"

Kakashi continued, "It's a pretty big deal, Sasuke. Everyone in Konoha will be there."

Sasuke paused before responding. "What happens at the Opening Ceremony?"

Kakashi shrugged, "Well it's mostly food, crowds, a speech from the Hokage, a huge fireworks display…all the typical festival activities. Although with more… _ceremony_."

Seeing Sasuke wasn't too interested, he tried a different tactic. "They also call it _First Night_." His voice gave the words a sensual weight.

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, repeating his words with added sarcasm, "_First Night_?"

"_First Night_ is known to be one of the biggest romantic nights in Konoha!"

Sasuke gave a dramatic roll of his eyes. Kakashi went on, chuckling as he teased. "Everyone gets dressed up, and couples walk hand in hand through the streets, being romantic together… and of course—cuddling and watching the fireworks finale!"

Sasuke glared at him, "Tch."

"There's going to be endless food stands, streets lit only by lanterns, lots of dark corners to get lost in…I bet _Naruto_'s going to be there…" Kakashi cajoled.

Sasuke hurled the object in his hand with deadly accuracy, and Kakashi just managed to catch it before it hit him, careful not to squeeze it too hard. He chuckled at Sasuke, whose cheeks had turned pink, and pocketed the item.

"Maaa, I know you wouldn't normally take yourself Yukata shopping, so I thought I would take you out as an early birthday present and get you something nice for _First Night_. We can get dinner afterwards. How about it?"

Sasuke tied a knot in the ninja wire, moving another string of objects into the sack at his feet. He sighed, brushing some locks of silky black hair out of his eyes, which had narrowed in suspicion.

"When?"

Kakashi leaned against the island, shrugging, then gesturing at the remains of the project strewn about on the countertop. "Tonight. Whenever you're done with…" He let Sasuke think he didn't know exactly what he was up to.

Sasuke hesitated as if he was trying to come up with a reason to refuse; finding none, he reluctantly agreed. "Okay."

Kakashi's stomach burbled in excitement. Yes! This was going to be _fun_.

"Good. I'll meet you at my place," he said, smiling to himself as Sasuke nodded his agreement. He stood up, folding his arms across his body, letting the room fall silent before dealing the Ace up his sleeve. "So. When's Naruto coming over?"

Sasuke looked over at him in surprise, though he quickly recovered and glared as he turned back to his ninja wire and uncoiled several more feet of it.

"Tch. Why would Naruto come here?"

Kakashi plucked a pair of chopsticks from the dish rack. "May I point out that you are preparing a training method which is ineffective for one person?"

He used the chopsticks to gesture to the wire project on the counter. "This requires at least two people, and I am certain you aren't going to all this trouble for _me_, although I am impressed at your variation—very clever. It'll work perfectly with Naruto's abilities."

Sasuke's eyes locked on his, probably trying to decide how much to reveal. Kakashi tried to make his face look innocent.

Eventually Sasuke shrugged, "We're just training." He paused, then added quickly, "That's nothing unusual."

"Hmmm." Kakashi waited patiently, tapping a chopstick against his masked lip and letting Sasuke sweat. "So… what did you cook him for dinner last night?"

Sasuke dissembled unconvincingly, looking away, "I ate alone."

Kakashi held his tea mug in the air. "This mug was in the middle of the cabinet two days ago when I made us tea. It was behind two narrower mugs with blue fish that would fit neatly on your tea tray, which I presume you don't use for just yourself. You must've used your tea tray, _and_ the two mugs, sometime since yesterday morning."

He went on, setting down his tea mug and using the chopsticks to indicate the evidence he'd compiled since he came into the kitchen.

"Second, this bag of rice is nearly empty. I know, because I cooked our lunch two days ago, and there's more rice missing than you would have eaten on your own between then and now. So someone else must have been here to eat some of it."

Kakashi pointed to the Wok. "Third, this is a large Wok, and it's been used recently. If you were cooking something only for yourself, the smaller one I know you keep in this other cabinet would have been sufficient," he gestured to the cabinet in question. "Therefore you must have prepared food for two or more people."

Sasuke's hands were fumbling the knots as he tried to ignore his teacher. Kakashi moved over to the dish rack.

"Fourth, there are four pairs of chopsticks here in your dish rack. One is the ordinary set I watched you use yesterday. This other ordinary pair is still damp from your breakfast this morning. But these two pairs," he picked up the set that matched the one he was already holding, "These are made from Coconut wood. _These_ you would have chosen to serve someone special. There's only one person I can think of that you would consider worthy of your nice chopsticks."

Kakashi paused, letting the evidence speak for itself, and then pointed to the other two damning objects in the dish rack. "And of course the fancy matching chopstick rests!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, trying to seem bored while concentrating on keeping his hands busy. He sighed in irritation, and Kakashi felt a flare of murderous intent from the back of his student's head. Sasuke turned and faced his sensei with arms crossed, his expression acknowledging how he'd been trapped and that he was _not_ happy about it.

"Tempura Donburi," was all he said.

Kakashi raised his eyebrow, "Yum."

He moved around the island to stand across from Sasuke, leaning his hip into the counter, eye crinkling happily.

"So what happened? Did you make up? What did he say? What did you say? Was it a date?"

Sasuke glared at him in open hostility, waving away his questions. "Naruto came here yesterday. We ate dinner. He's coming here to train this afternoon." Sasuke's voice lowered, becoming coldly insistent, "Which is why _you're_ leaving. _Now_."

"Hmmmm," Kakashi paused sarcastically, a grin spreading underneath his mask. "Is that what you're going to call it? _Training_?" Sasuke shot him a look dripping with murderous intent.

Kakashi simply laughed, "Nevermind, nevermind, Sasuke-kun. You can call it whatever you like. But you know," He reached over and picked up one of the objects waiting to be threaded with ninja wire, "This variation of training could lead to some fairly sexy things…"

Sasuke made a swipe to take back his item, but wasn't quite fast enough. Kakashi evaded him and tucked the object into his shuriken pouch with the other one.

"Hmmm… well I can see you're busy getting ready for your…_guest_," he winked. "So I will be off. But don't forget our date."

He waved; Sasuke only glared at him, lips pressed tight together. Kakashi grinned wider, making his way to the doorway, then stopped, turning to look over his shoulder.

"Oh, and Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked over at him, arms still crossed stiffly, only deigning to arch an eyebrow in his direction.

"Make sure Naruto knows to use a lot of lube!"

Sasuke's face flushed crimson, and he darted forward bristling with shuriken, clearly intent on retaliating with a thorough punishment. '_It'd be painful, too, no doubt_,' Kakashi thought as he grabbed his sandals and bolted out the door, laughing quietly at the image of his student's scandalized face and vanishing in a burst of speed.

He sensed Sasuke pursue him through the Uchiha district, but as he passed under the archway Sasuke's presence slowed and the distance between them grew. Once he considered it to be safe, he paused in the shadow of an apartment building to put on his sandals, first brushing the dirt and grass from the soles of his feet.

Kakashi cackled, looking forward to his little shopping date with Sasuke and finding out what had come of their "training."

This was one of his best ideas ever.

* * *

--

* * *

In his tiny shower, Naruto let the hot water beat down on his head and neck for quite a while, rinsing away the soapy bubbles and filling him with relaxed contentment.

He loved the feel of the water forging its own rivulets down his skin from the top of his golden head down his firmly muscled torso and curving over his belly and legs. It made him tingle. Not as much as the time with Sasuke… but a weak copy of something similar. Though his eyes were closed, Naruto's mind mapped the droplets as they curled over his pectorals and slid across his tight abs below, and where they spread over his shoulders to converge down the valley of his spine and over his firm butt.

The sight of him would be enough to make a straight man weep, however Naruto, completely unconscious of his own physical beauty stood naked in his shower under the hot water thinking only of his teammate.

Naruto ran a hand over the ridges of his washboard abs and settled it just above the Kyuubi seal, pretending it was Sasuke's hand instead. His body responded to the fantasy—the tiny streams of water changed their course over his hand and wrist to drip along his hardening shaft.

Naruto sighed, closing his eyes tighter and remembering the husky aroma from when he'd kissed Sasuke's cheek, a rich, languid spiciness that was different from his own sharper scent. He could almost believe that his black-haired rival was right in front of him. It was so real he leaned forward, lips parted, intent on kissing Sasuke at last—and stumbled into the tiled wall of the shower, catching himself with hands pressed against cold ceramic squares.

Naruto's eyes snapped open, and he chuckled at the growing intensity of his fantasies, leaning into his splayed fingers on the wall. Just as soon he acknowledged how much he wanted his rival, the fantasies started getting more and more real, sometimes real enough to wake him in the night. He had to get in control of himself! He stepped back into the spraying hot water, tilting his head to get a full blast in the face, then shook himself and turned the water off.

He grabbed a towel and gave his body a cursory rub down as he stepped out of his bathroom, shaking the excess water from his blond hair, and approaching his dresser with trepidation.

"What should I wear…" he muttered to himself, tossing his towel aside on the corner of his bed.

He usually wore whatever he grabbed first, but today was different. Today he was training with _Sasuke_. Today he was going to Sasuke's _house_, and they were going to _train_.

So what do you wear to train with the guy you like in the middle of nowhere?

Naruto opened his top drawer, and pulled out some yellow boxer-briefs. '_Well it's a start, at least_.' He pulled out the next drawer, and went through the balled-up T-shirts he kept there.

"Great," he cursed his laundry habits, feeling even more nervous about his rendezvous. '_Sasuke's clothes are probably pristine, folded and arranged by color_.' No wait, he mostly wore black… '_Arranged by sleeve length then_.' He pulled out several handfuls of shirts and spread them out on his bed, trying to pick the very best one.

"Hmmm," Naruto muttered

He didn't understand how it could be so hard to pick something to wear, not realizing that his indecision was a clear indication of how much he really wanted to impress his teammate. He put aside all the black shirts, since Sasuke usually wore black. He wanted something different, but equally cool… he put aside all the orange ones too. He looked good in orange, but it was kinda… well… _un-cool_. What was left? Blue? Red? Green? White?

He picked up a white shirt and held it up to his chest. White was cool. White wasn't black. He scowled, lowering the shirt. But he'd worn white yesterday. Would Sasuke remember?

'_Of course he would, Sasuke notices everything_.'

Naruto threw the shirt back towards his dresser, but missed. The shirt caught on the corner of the open drawer, then slid to the floor in a small heap. Naruto muttered curses as he crossed over to pick it up and put it away. As he let go of the fabric, he saw something in the way back of the drawer that made him hesitate. He reached deeper inside and pulled out a shirt he'd completely forgotten was there, a birthday present from Jiraiya two or three years ago. Naruto moved over to the mirror and held it up in front of his body.

It was white, but not white: a white mesh that felt silky to the touch and shimmered under direct sunlight. Naruto pulled it over his head, feeling the mesh stretch over his muscular body to hug him tightly, but not so that it was uncomfortable. He turned to the side, looking at himself in the mirror, evaluating the results.

The mesh was a tight weave, giving the appearance at some angles of being solid white fabric, but in the shadows you could see the crossing fibers and tiny, tiny squares of his tanned skin beneath it. He twisted the other way. It felt good; he could move easily and quickly, which was perfect for training. It was lightweight, so he wouldn't get overheated, and it was …_cool_. Naruto grinned. This was the one!

He went through his shorts and picked out some Khaki's, then put on his shuriken pouch and kunai holster. Lastly came the hitai-ate, which he tied tightly in anticipation, giving his damp blond hair a few shakes to keep it from dripping down his neck.

"Now I gotta find out more about this Scavenger Hunt." Naruto went to his doorway and put on his sandals, and rushed out of his apartment towards the Hokage office.

The streets of Konoha were bustling, but not with the usual swarms of shoppers. Up and down every major road were ninja of all ages climbing ladders and hanging colorful lanterns at regular intervals. Shopkeepers had their staff helping out near their shops, and in-between these Naruto recognized some of the Chuunin Academy teachers directing their students to help decorate the village. He glanced around for Iruka- sensei, but didn't see him on the way to the Hokage tower.

Naruto slowed down as he approached the office, and saw with dismay that there was a very long line of people waiting to speak to Tsunade. Some of them held large covered trays, some were dressed in colorful costumes, and three strange men were struggling to roll an enormous barrel up the steps. Behind them was another man—whose appearance didn't resemble a ninja of any kind—leading a large black horse.

Naruto scrunched up his face, trying to imagine what this motley assortment of people needed with the Hokage, and decided to use another entrance. Avoiding the gazes of the Hokage's Jounin guards, Naruto dashed around the back of the building and climbed up the wall on chakra-focused feet. He passed beside the large, curving window at the back of Tsunade's office, and hopped onto the conical roof ledge above it, leaning his nose and forehead down over the side to peer through the open glass.

From behind her, Naruto could see Tsunade seated at her desk, rubbing her head. There was a platter of food on the desk in front of her, and Naruto saw her assistant Shizune looking anxiously in her direction, standing next to a very fat man in a Chef's hat. Tsunade reached out towards the platter, hand shaking in hesitation, and Shizune came over to whisper in her ear. Naruto inched closer so he could hear the exchange from his location.

"Tsunade-sama, perhaps I could send for someone else to handle the food vendors' samples… You're looking a little green," Shizune whispered.

Tsunade straightened in her chair, "I think you're right—I'm not sure I can eat another thing this morning. However…"

Without turning, she suddenly flung a kunai out the window, aiming close enough to Naruto's inverted head that the tips of several of his golden hairs slowly fell down to the sill.

"AH!" Naruto heard Shizune gasp in surprise, taking the words from his mouth as he forced himself to breathe again, hanging frozen over the window ledge.

Tsunade _humphed_ in satisfaction and turned to look at him, her mouth quirked in a goading smile. "Something you wanted, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto uncoiled his muscles and flipped through her window to land light on his feet in her office. He glared indignantly and yelled.

"Oi! Be more careful, Tsunade-no-baa-chan!" He crossed his arms defiantly.

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, crinkling her eyes shut, "You're too noisy!" She stood up, turning to him with hands on her hips. "Can't you see all these people waiting properly in line to see me?" Her graceful arm swept the air, gesturing to the line of festival participants looking scandalized in their direction.

"How dare you so rudely disturb Tsunade-sama!" Shizune scolded, stepping forward in disapproval, but was halted by Tsunade's raised hand. The Hokage sighed.

"Naruto, what do you want? Make it quick, before I assign you a mission far away from me that you'll _detest_." Tsunade looked like she meant it, and Naruto glared at Shizune for scolding him before making his request.

He pointed a finger at the Hokage, "I want to know everything about the Scavenger Hunt!" He stuck his thumb into his own chest, his face fierce in determination, "Because I'm going to win!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes, "Tch. Is _that_ what you're interrupting me for?" She waved him off, turning back to her desk.

"Oi!" Naruto moved up beside her, "I said I'm going to _win_! So what do I have to do?"

Tsunade sat back down behind her desk, "You'll find out tomorrow night along with everyone else at the Opening Ceremony, Naruto. Now, I have work to do."

Naruto could see Shizune bobbing around in the background, clearly wanting to yell at him. He shot her a glare before asking his next question.

"What's with this Opening Ceremony? I don't want to wait until tomorrow, I want to know _now_!" Naruto leaned his hands on her desk to be at her eye level, ignoring the hushed whispers from the onlookers in the room.

Tsunade sighed. "Tomorrow night is the grand opening of the Festival of the Golden Kunai, and I'll be making an official speech that will tell you all you need to know about the Hunt. Now I have lots of things to do today, so go…" She gestured vaguely, looking for a suggestion that would keep him out of her hair, "…Iron your festival Yukata or something, and let me get back to work!"

She shuffled a pile of papers stacked in front of the large food platter. Naruto straightened up, confused.

"Festival… Yukata?" He scratched his head, "I don't think I have one…"

Tsunade cocked her head at him, her eyes traveling up and down his athletic body. Naruto saw her watching him, and tried to read her expression, but couldn't decipher it at all. He grew a little uncomfortable at being regarded so thoroughly, and reached a hand to his neck in self-consciousness.

Her head soon straightened, and she nodded at him. "I see Jiraiya's been dressing you, hasn't he?" She questioned.

Naruto's eyes widened in alarm. '_Was that bad?_' He looked down at his shirt, craning his neck to see his back, twisting one way and the other to find what was wrong. He looked back at her in dismay—he didn't know what she meant, and he didn't have anything else to wear—

"Nevermind," Tsunade's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Alright, why don't you come see me early tomorrow morning. I have a festival Yukata that should fit you. But!" she held her finger in the air, "You have to leave me alone about the Hunt and let me get on with my duties. No more sneaking around my office!"

Her voice was firm and commanding, and Naruto readily agreed to the terms, relieved he wouldn't have to find a Yukata on his own—it sounded difficult. He gave the Hokage a little salute, smiling in thanks, then turned and walked across the office to the door, passing the long line of people waiting to be addressed and hearing Tsunade apologize to the fat man in the background. Naruto walked out into the sunlight.

Though his mind was half somewhere else, he regarded the assortment of people with interest, his nose trying to place the mixed odors of food and his eyes roving over the bright colors of the performer's costumes. He came around the bend and his blue eyes fell on the man who was leading the horse.

The horse was gorgeous, but seemed uncomfortable around so many strangers and snorted and tossed its head; Naruto saw the man make clucking noises at it, rubbing a hand along its velvety neck in calming strokes. Naruto slowed his pace as he approached, wanting to get a good look since he hadn't been around many horses.

Its coat shone a glossy coal-black, and its mane danced in the Konoha breeze, giving it a look of wildness. As Naruto came up beside it, the horse turned its head and stared down at him; he felt a shiver ripple across his skin as their eyes met. The horse's ears flattened against his head, and it snorted, almost in challenge. The shiver became a shudder of desire—the horse's cunning eyes and the taunting challenge reminded Naruto of his best friend, who was just as dark and powerful as the black steed.

Naruto kept walking, looking at it over his shoulder, then shook off the lingering shivers and turned at the corner to head over to the Ninja Academy. Hopefully this would be the last stop before going over to Sasuke's. It was almost time for him to head over that way, but right now he needed to clear something up.

Naruto crossed the courtyard full of young ninjas eating lunch in small clusters and entered the Academy building, glad that he was still in time to catch his sensei during the break. He ran up the stairs and down the hall of the floor to Iruka's classroom and threw open the door. His sensei was seated at his desk, grading papers and eating his lunch in the empty classroom. Iruka looked up, and seeing that it was him, smiled.

"Naruto-kun! What are you doing here?" he asked warmly.

Naruto grinned, closing the door firmly behind him. "Hey, Iruka-sensei."

He hurried across the classroom and past his teacher over to the far windows, quickly peering outside, and up above, and down below, checking for anyone who could be eavesdropping. Iruka watched him, puzzled, as he crossed back over to pull up a chair from the closest student desk and sit next to him. Naruto swallowed, feeling a little nervous.

"Er… Iruka-sensei?" He leaned forward with a hand cupped around his mouth. "I have a question!"

Iruka's eyes went wide in surprise, then he groaned loudly and slumped back in his chair, "Oh _noooooooo_…"

Naruto's cheeks grew warm, "No!" he whispered loudly, "It's not anything like _that_!"

Iruka sighed with relief, scooting forward again and pushing his papers aside. He matched his voice to the blond's, whispering, "Okay, what's up?"

"Well…" Naruto hedged, glancing from side to side, then stood up and turned in a slow circle, his words coming out all in a rush: "Do I look okay for training at Sasuke's house this afternoon?"

He watched Iruka closely, not breathing, desperate to hear that he looked okay and not like someone dressed up by a _perverted frog-hermit_. Iruka's mouth twitched, and twitched, until he couldn't keep a straight face any more, tossing his head back as he guffawed loudly.

Naruto was horrified for a moment, before irritation swelled up in his chest and he yelled, "What the hell, Sensei!"

Iruka tried hard to regain his composure, "Sorry, sorry," he managed between laughs, finally subsiding enough to communicate verbally. "Naruto, you look _fine_," he said reassuringly, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Really?" Naruto asked excitedly, not sure if he should believe Iruka after he laughed so much.

Iruka nodded emphatically, "You look fine. No—you look good!" He gestured from Naruto's head to his feet, "I'm sure Sasuke will appreciate whatever you wear. He doesn't strike me as being too picky about other people's clothes."

Naruto could agree with that, knowing Sasuke was mostly picky about his own clothes. Or weapons, or…well, everything.

Naruto sighed, "It took me a long time to find _this_ shirt…" He ran a hand through his blond hair. "I don't know what I'd do if you said I should change." He sat back down by his sensei with relief.

Iruka smiled at him, "Glad I could help."

"Iruka- sensei," Naruto asked, a new concern on his mind, "Do you know anything about festival Yukata?"

Iruka looked a little surprised, "Do you mean for the Opening Ceremony?"

Naruto nodded, "Tsunade-no-baa-chan said she'd lend me one for tomorrow night, but…" He rubbed his neck again, flushing slightly in embarrassment. "I've never worn one before."

"Well it's not that big a deal," Iruka answered, "Especially since it's summertime."

"But what if I mess it up?" Naruto felt a little shy, "Can you show me? Tomorrow before the Ceremony starts?" He grinned at his teacher, "Hey! Then we can go to the festival together!"

Iruka shook his head, looking a little put out, "I won't be going; I have to work tomorrow night."

Naruto's face fell, "_What_? But sensei! Can't you switch with someone? You have to go, it's the Opening Ceremony—the Hokage said it's important!"

Iruka considered, tapping his cheek idly with his finger. "Well Mozuku does owe me a favor…"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeease, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto pleaded.

Iruka laughed, "Okay, okay Naruto. I'll get someone to switch with me. Then we can go together, and I'll help you with your Yukata."

Naruto grinned, "Yay! Thank you, Iruka-sensei!"

He stretched back in his chair, visibly relieved, lacing his fingers behind his head. He felt a whole lot better now that his teacher would be there to make sure he didn't goof anything up. He sighed to himself. Why was he so worried about his wardrobe, all of a sudden?

His sensei changed the subject, watching close and raising an eyebrow, "So… training at Sasuke's, huh?"

Iruka was obviously curious, but Naruto didn't feel pressured by the question—he'd just have to edit a few things. His cheeks flushed anyhow.

"Yeah. I ran into him yesterday at the grocery store… and he invited me over to train today."

"Ah," Iruka commented. "Well I hope you're not going to hit him again!" Iruka chuckled.

Naruto's jaw dropped—he could never do that! Even if Sasuke held him down and _licked_ him again… Naruto groaned as his face flushed even brighter and his belly tingled in anticipation.

Iruka laughed harder, "Just kidding, just kidding."

They both turned towards the classroom door, hearing the pattering footsteps of ninja students echoing up and down the halls as lunchtime came to a close. Iruka began to put his bento away.

"Oh. The kids will be coming back soon."

Naruto stood and put his chair back just as a cluster of students opened the door and came into the classroom, looking much younger and tinier than he ever remembered being. They moved to their seats, one or two of them slowing in surprise at the unexpected sight of a blond Chuunin beside their instructor.

Iruka waved hello at his students, and Naruto smiled and waved at them as well. One kunoichi squeaked and hid behind her notebook, and Naruto looked sheepishly at Iruka who chuckled.

"I guess I'll get out of your way, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said, smiling at his favorite teacher.

"Yeah, it's hard enough to get them to settle down after lunch," Iruka smiled at him. He gave Naruto's shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Good luck!"

Naruto flushed slightly, "Thanks!" Naruto strode over to the door, turning back and calling, "See you tomorrow!"

He made his way back down the stairs and out of the building, his heartbeat thrumming in his ears as he dashed across Konoha to the residence of one gorgeous tensai.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke dipped the calligraphy brush into a dark ink mixture, letting the dry hairs absorb just the right amount of liquid.

With deft strokes he quickly sketched a map of Uchiha property, marking the shape of the lake and the area beyond it in which he intended to train with Naruto. He made tick marks at the edge of the parchment to indicate distance, and drew an Uchiha fan in the corner pointing North. He rinsed the brush before putting everything away and checking his bundles on the kitchen counter to make sure he had everything he needed.

Feeling satisfied, not to mention _eager_, he went to the front door to hang the map for his teammate, driving a kunai into the wood just enough for it to hold firm.

Ninja supplies in hand, he sprinted around his house and through the rear courtyard, sandals splashing across the surface of Uchiha lake. He came to an area thick with trees and shrubbery, not too far from where he usually did target practice, but recognizably different because of the Kudzu that twisted over almost every surface. Sasuke kept the viney-weed contained to one area for several training purposes; the process of taming it alone allowed him to practice many ninjutsu without unwanted destructive results.

Today, he would use it to test in what ways he could help his teammate win the Golden Kunai.

He found a spot that matched what he was looking for, and began to set some traps. Naruto had gotten a lot better at spotting them, but Sasuke had also become more skilled at setting them. He felt confident that even if Naruto evaded some of the traps, he'd definitely fall for the last one. And then maybe they'd _really_ have some fun.

His hands worked fast. The quiet, shaded grove had a great combination of landscape elements that would make the afternoon entertaining, and once the last pieces were set in place, Sasuke chose a tree that would afford him a great view of the surrounding area, and concealed himself behind the natural curtain of Kudzu.

He wrapped his arms around his stomach to keep from getting too nervous—waiting for Naruto to arrive would be the hardest part. Not for the first time, he wished he had an animal to summon that could give him a warning when his teammate was approaching.

Instead, he closed his eyes, focusing his senses on the forest around him, ears pricked to hear any disturbance that might signal Naruto's approach.

* * *

--

* * *

Naruto gasped in relief when he found Sasuke's house, after getting turned around for several minutes in the Uchiha district's labyrinth of buildings.

He dashed into the front courtyard and up the steps, wondering nervously if he was supposed to knock or ring the bell. Finding the map on the door, Naruto grinned at his teammate's neat, precise handwriting, and felt a shiver of excitement course through him. Sasuke was evidently taking their training session seriously.

He gave the parchment a tug, removing it from the door and looking around to orient himself. He walked around Sasuke's house, recognizing the elaborately carved doors that stood closed at the back of a wide, wooden porch. He remembered the elegant sitting room where he and Sasuke had eaten dinner together, which must be on the other side. The porch overlooked a small garden close to the house and an expanse of land between it and the shimmering lake.

Naruto rolled up the map and tucked it into a pouch, sprinting towards the lake in the direction Sasuke had instructed. It was excitement—and nervousness too—that propelled him across the lake so fast, but he reigned himself in when he reached the opposite shore, examining the trees growing up the bank.

"Kudzu… Kudzu…" he murmured, moving from trunk to trunk, trying to find the grove that his rival had illustrated.

He crept around the edge of the forest, sticking fairly close to the shoreline and just inside the perimeter of trees until his eyes focused on an area thirty feet inward that seemed different than the rest of the forest. He moved in that direction, noticing how little light was passing through the canopy, and the further he went, the thicker the forest seemed to get. Cautious, Naruto eyed the broad, leafy plant that was slowly covering the surface of everything in sight, blanketing the woods in a lush, velvety layer of green.

When the sunlight abruptly cut off, he halted, feeling like he'd stepped into another world altogether—_everything_, all the normal plants and trees had been swallowed up by the Kudzu. '_This must be the place._'

Sasuke was hiding somewhere, waiting for him. Naruto looked around, senses alert, wondering what his teammate had planned.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" He said, creating two clones. The clones turned to him, and he motioned for them to sneak in opposite directions and try to locate Sasuke. They nodded, following his instructions and leaping into the dense landscape and out of sight.

Naruto thought for a moment. He was at two disadvantages: One, he wasn't familiar with the environment, and Two, stealth wasn't one of his strongest points. He pursed his lips. But maybe there were things he _could_ do. He inhaled a deep breath, and then let it out in a tremendous yell:

"OI, SASUKE! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU HIDING?"

Naruto took two steps forward, listening for any rude remarks his rival might be muttering, hearing instead the hiss of an exploding tag about to ignite. He looked down at his feet, realizing he'd tripped an almost invisible ninja wire, and quickly somersaulted to the right, away from the noise. He rolled up to his feet and leaped into the air, scrambling for purchase on a vine-covered tree trunk as the explosion went off where he'd been standing.

"Tch," Naruto muttered, holding onto a branch with his hands and swinging his legs up to get a better view of the area. Sasuke really _was_ taking this seriously—an explosion like that could have hurt him! His eyes narrowed as they scanned the forest, his earlier nervous excitement replaced with irritated determination.

Naruto moved out of the tree, leaping to the next and making an effort to keep silent, although the Kudzu rustled under his hands and feet no matter what he did. At least with his two clones also in motion it was harder to pinpoint any one of the three of them. He thought grimly of all the lessons he'd had with Kakashi, knowing that while his own movements might be somewhat obscured by the noises, they also concealed those of his rival—his tactic was working equally against him as well as for him.

He had to find another way.

He leapt into the next tree and his foot slipped off the branch he'd been aiming for; he grabbed hold of some vines as he fell, peeling them off of the underside of the branch and kicking his feet out, using the momentum of his body weight to swing himself around the trunk and descend to a level where he could safely jump to the ground.

Naruto landed in a crouch, one hand braced on the ground in front of him, the other reaching for a kunai, not knowing if Sasuke could even see where he was. His expression brightened—the landscape might be helping to hide his opponent, but that meant it could hide him as well. He moved carefully backward against the tree trunk, circling its base and ducking into a mass of vine encrusted foliage. He listened carefully, peeking out from behind the leaves, and then moved slowly towards another tree as far as he could while concealed.

After a minute of waiting and watching, he decided to make a break for the next cluster. He moved quickly, cutting through the vines with his kunai and dashing across the open space. A shuriken whizzed through the air past him and he ducked his head and dodged it, thankful that Sasuke had missed. Then he realized his mistake, as he felt rope tighten around his ankle and snap him off balance.

He didn't fall back and hit the ground; instead he was flung into the air to hang upside down.

Naruto cursed. The shuriken had been aiming for the counterweight of this trap, and he'd stepped into it like a complete _Genin_.

Before he'd even bobbed once, Naruto reached up to his foot and held the rope steady with his left hand, cutting his leg free with the kunai. His legs dropped, and he twisted his now upright body to the side to fling his kunai in the direction that the shuriken had come from. Watching as it sliced the air, he reached up with his right hand and shimmied himself up the rope, hand over hand to where the rope had been tied to a very high branch.

He made it to the top before his kunai could hit its target, but he saw Sasuke suddenly burst out of the way and dash across the open forest floor. Though his view was soon obstructed by the trees around him, Naruto could hear Sasuke's feet crunching through the Kudzu as he tried to move to a safe location.

Naruto clung to his perch, catching his breath for two seconds after his rapid climb, and then moved quickly to chase after Sasuke, ignoring the hanging strings of Kudzu tickling his face. It didn't matter what noise he made now, Sasuke knew exactly where he was. But what Sasuke _didn't_ know was that they were headed right toward one of his clones. All he had to do now was continue to flush him in that direction and then the clone could ambush him. Naruto smiled.

He followed the noise of his running teammate, trying to keep him in his sight although he lost him when Sasuke dove into a thick mass of tangled plants. Naruto froze in a tree almost directly above his rival, willing the Kudzu around him to be silent as he watched the hiding place intently.

The bulbous mass of plants wasn't that large, and there was no cover if Sasuke tried to move out of it. Naruto considered his options, the minutes ticking by with neither of them taking action, and the heat trapped inside all the Kudzu causing sweat to slowly drip down his neck.

He knew vaguely which direction his clones were, but didn't hear them moving anymore. He could throw his weapons at Sasuke, but he really didn't want to risk hurting him too badly. He crouched on his tree branch, waiting as calmly as he could for something to happen.

The mass of Kudzu below him rustled. He held his breath—Sasuke was going to do something!

The Kudzu rustled again, and this time he could actually see the top of Sasuke's ink-black head poke out of the leaves. It turned from side to side, like he was scanning the forest around him to make sure it was safe, then started to slip slowly and silently—_how the hell did he do it?_—from the tangle of plants.

Naruto's heartbeat sped up as he watched Sasuke's lithe form emerge from hiding and creep slowly into the open. He clenched his fist, it had to be now!

He wound his fingers in the Kudzu vines hanging near to him and dove backwards off the branch he was standing on. The vines peeled from the branch just like he'd expected, and he swung his body so that he could dismount directly behind his teammate. In almost slow motion Sasuke was turning to look over his shoulder, his expression one of total surprise.

Naruto landed on the ground right behind him and he instantly wrapped his arms around Sasuke's chest and held him tight so that he couldn't get away again.

He moved his lips close to Sasuke's ear, saying, "_Gotcha_."

He had one glorious moment of holding Sasuke in his arms, their bodies pressed tightly together, before Sasuke disappeared in a little poof of smoke.

Naruto stood there—completely shocked—his arms still in the air in disbelief. The Kudzu rustled behind him; heart sinking, he turned to look over his shoulder just as the real Sasuke leapt into the air and threw several shuriken directly at him.

It was like being in a horror movie—Naruto felt a twinge of utter panic as the shuriken whizzed in his direction. It happened so quickly he could only manage to raise his forearms to protect his head and neck. He closed his eyes tight, his mind not able to fully understand that he was about to get hit, and he braced himself for the sickening thuds of the weapons striking his body.

Naruto heard the change in trajectory when the shuriken suddenly angled to avoid his frozen form, circling around him in identical speeds. The next thing he knew a mass of ninja wires wrapped tightly around his torso from his upper chest to his narrow hips, though there was something… _odd_… pressing into him in places.

He felt a pang of relief when he realized that Sasuke was only using the shuriken as a way to bind him. Although again, it didn't seem right—the wires only went around his torso; his arms and legs were free. The Shuriken made a last pass before returning to Sasuke, who pulled the wires he held in his hands taut with a flick of his wrists. Naruto slowly lowered his forearms and raised his chin to look at his longtime rival.

Sasuke was fifteen feet away from him, holding three shuriken between the knuckles of one hand, the nearly invisible wires stretched between them. Naruto couldn't take his eyes off of him even if he'd wanted to.

Sasuke stood with an amused smirk on his face, his free hand resting casually on his hip. He was in a black ninja jumpsuit, the wrappings under his kunai holster the only element that broke the sleek lines of his body other than the creamy skin that showed at knee and elbow. Naruto bit the inside of his cheek to keep from wobbling.

_This_ is how it was to train with Uchiha Sasuke; so beautiful, so cunning, so… _aggravating!_

Naruto's gut clenched with desire, erasing his fear of being wounded but not quite replacing the earlier disappointment of only holding his rival for half a second. No, not Sasuke—just a Kage Bunshin. _Shit_!

Naruto dropped his clenched fists to his sides, but something on his body got in the way. He looked down, and boggled in confusion at what he saw. There, tied to the ninja wire—and now also roped around his body—were at least fifty ripe, round, red _strawberries_.

Naruto gaped, not knowing what question to ask first.

Sasuke inclined his head, black eyes twinkling an answer. His purring voice made Naruto's belly squirm—

"_Gotcha_."

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke held the shuriken tightly, keeping the wire stretched taut between him and his teammate.

Naruto was gaping at him, totally at a loss for words, and his confusion was too _adorable_. If Naruto only knew what the sight of him—_where did he get that utterly sexy shirt?_—was doing to him, even covered in fruit, he'd just be more confused.

Sasuke's mind flashed to the sight of Naruto hugging his clone, and he felt things in his abdomen tighten. He was almost disappointed that he hadn't been the one caught, though he tried to console himself with _Phase II_ of his training plans.

"I see we have some work to do on avoiding traps," he taunted, coiling up the wires as he moved closer to the blond.

"Hey!" Naruto argued, "At least I got out of them this time!"

"Hn," Sasuke replied, "You did. But your clones didn't."

"_WHAT_!"

Sasuke made his way forward, knotting the wires together across Naruto's stomach and using a kunai to snap off the excess. He tucked the remaining wire into one of his pouches. He motioned for Naruto to follow him, walking casually through the shady Kudzu as if they were sightseeing. Naruto grumbled behind him.

They moved further into the Kudzu forest, coming upon an enormous tree trunk, and Sasuke smirked to himself. '_Naruto should be able to hear his clone squirming about now_.' Sasuke circled the tree, and sure enough, Naruto passed him in a hurry, impatient to see what had become of his clone. Sasuke paused when Naruto froze.

"What the hell? You! Why…why are you so…so…ugh!" Naruto spluttered, pointing at his clone which was tied securely against the tree, mouth covered in tape and legs kicking furiously at a ninety-degree angle. Its eyes shone dark blue with murderous intent.

"Do you want me to show you the other one?" Sasuke asked, crossing his arms over his chest and posing in his usual bored, superior way.

Naruto growled in frustration as he made a hand seal to release his jutsu. The clone popped with a poof of smoke, leaving the ninja wire slack around the tree. Naruto whipped around to face him.

"Asshole! What the _hell_!" He gestured to the tree, then to his body, wrapped in wires and strawberries, looking for the right words to express the emotions swirling across his face. He shook his fist in the air, settling for, "Are you _INSANE_?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "Tch. I believe you said you wanted to win the Golden Kunai, yes?"

Naruto gestured impatiently, "Of course!"

"Do you really think your competition isn't going to use traps?"

Naruto seemed to consider this. He tried to cross his arms, but couldn't because of the strawberries. He put his hands on his hips instead.

"So what?"

"So I'm _telling_ you. This is going to be a hard competition."

"Hmph," Naruto replied.

Sasuke snorted, indignant. Why didn't Naruto ever take things seriously?

"Listen. First, you're going to have to search for some type of object, in an unknown area of Konoha forest. Why do you think I picked this location today?" He gestured to the dense Kudzu coating every available surface.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Because it would be harder to find you."

Sasuke nodded, "Exactly. Even without opponents, it's going to be hard to find the hidden objects." Naruto seemed to be thinking about that. Good.

"Second," Sasuke continued, "You also have to carry and protect the objects you find." He indicated the strawberries.

"You mean these?" Naruto twisted to regard the strings of red fruit dotting his body.

"Yes–those." Sasuke nodded. "And that's not even counting how your opponents are going to try to steal them, or how you're going to steal from your opponents, or how you're going to make it through multiple hours with many shinobi battling at once."

Naruto looked back at him, his blue eyes steady and calculating. "Wow," he muttered. "You've really thought about this, Sasuke, haven't you."

Sasuke fought the butterflies in his tummy, knowing how much he really had thought about it. And how much he thought about _Naruto_. He felt his cheeks start to turn pink, and he turned away.

He waved it off. "It's just… not going to be like when we take bells from Kakashi-sensei."

Naruto grinned at him, chuckling. "Yeah, Kakashi always loses when the two of us work together!"

"Yeah." Sasuke smirked, fondly remembering the last time they'd hoodwinked their teacher.

Naruto started to fidget impatiently. "All right, Sasuke, I see what you're saying. But…" he gestured vaguely at the strawberries. "What am I supposed to do with these?"

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at him. Did he need more of a hint? He moved towards his teammate, and lightning fast shoved the heel of his right hand into one of the strawberries on his stomach, just hard enough to squish it to a pulp.

"Keep me from doing _that_," he said, challenging, watching Naruto skip back a few feet and turn almost as red as the stain spreading on his shirt, from indignation or fury, or maybe both.

Naruto growled angrily at him, and Sasuke fought off the shiver of desire that squirmed down his spine. He gave his teammate a minute to get a bit riled up, then sprinted across the short distance between them to attack.

Naruto's fist came swinging at his chin, and he ducked, dodging the blow and smashing a strawberry just above his hip bone. He twisted behind and almost got one on Naruto's kidney, but Naruto kicked out at him and he was forced to skid out of the way. Naruto's blue eyes were ringed with fire, and Sasuke's heart skipped a beat—he must've really touched a nerve somehow for his rival to be this furious.

Sasuke considered his next attacks as they faced off, circling through the Kudzu slowly. Naruto suddenly charged at him—That _idiot!_—and Sasuke caught his raised fist with his left hand and turned into his arm to throw him. Naruto grabbed the back of his shoulder with his other arm and kicked his feet around to land solidly on the ground in front of him.

The fist Sasuke was holding in his hand opened and grabbed his wrist, and Sasuke felt Naruto shift their momentum to try and shove him onto the ground. Sasuke braced his right hand on Naruto's chest, destroying another strawberry, and tipped them backwards. He fell onto his back into the leafy Kudzu, and before the blond could make any countermoves, he brought both feet up into his stomach and caught his weight, then rolled his hips upward and pushed with his legs, throwing Naruto off of him and over his head.

Sasuke used the motion of the throw to flip himself upright, pushing off the ground with his hands as his feet found purchase in the vine-covered floor. He whipped around, seeing that Naruto had avoided landing flat on his back, but had partly skidded in the Kudzu leaving green stains along one leg of his shorts, and a red smear of one pulverized strawberry along his waistband.

Naruto turned towards him with a look of absolute rage, and Sasuke saw that the underside of his sandals had made tiny red ridges in the stains of the two strawberries that had been squished. He might have thought it was funny, except that his teammate was charging at him again.

"Aaaaaargh!" Naruto yelled, coming at him with a flurry of jabs and kicks and forcing him into defensive mode again.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in annoyance. What was he thinking, coming at him like that? He was supposed to be protecting the strawberries, not rushing into a close-combat situation!

Sasuke blocked Naruto's attacks with forearms, wrists and knees. Naruto might be slightly more powerful, but he didn't have quite the same speed. Sasuke's eyes bled strawberry red as he increased his movements enough to avoid the attacks and slip within Naruto's guard, destroying three more fruits on his back. Naruto was working hard to keep up, and he did a fair job of it, finally keeping Sasuke from adding to the count of red smears for several minutes. Sasuke soon felt his body protesting the furious pace of their fight and considered ways of ending it quickly.

Sasuke tilted his head to the left, dodging a punch and in turn punching his left arm towards the blond. Naruto twisted away from it, retracting his arm and then trying to shove his elbow at Sasuke's head instead. Sasuke dropped onto his left hand, and tried to sweep Naruto's legs out from under him with his own, but the blond pulled his knees up in a jump and avoided it. Sasuke was twisting his body back around to get up, but to his surprise, Naruto had turned the jump into a kamikaze dive and drove both hands into Sasuke's right shoulder.

Sasuke grunted as Naruto's weight pounded his shoulder and chest into the ground, his left arm bending under their combined force, and his legs entangled by both the Kudzu and his teammate's feet. Naruto's torso fell flush against his back, and for a second after landing, all he could hear was their equally rapid breathing.

Sasuke immediately started to struggle underneath him, but Naruto held him fast. Then, he began to feel the juice from the twelve or so strawberries that had been intact only moments ago start to seep into the black cotton of his own shirt.

"Ultimate moron!" He seethed, wriggling furiously, his mind caught between annoyance at Naruto's disregard for the premise of the exercise, and the enjoyment of Naruto's warm body covering his back.

"You jackass!" Naruto shouted near his ear, pressing his chest even harder against his back. "Let's see how much you like having a sticky shirt!"

Sasuke widened his eyes in disbelief, "Idiot! We can wash our shirts later, but you can't replace those strawberries!"

He couldn't see it from his position, but he could tell Naruto was fuming. "Who cares? Do you know how long it took me to pick out this shirt? And it's probably ruined! Shit!"

What the hell did that mean? He actually spent time picking out a shirt?

Sasuke ground his teeth in irritation. "It isn't ruined, _moron_, you just have to pre-wash it with the right stain remover! It isn't that hard!"

He felt Naruto go still, like he was thinking things through. Sasuke squirmed a little bit harder, impatiently, and felt Naruto's weight rise off him, too slow.

"You could've told me not to wear my best shirt, jerk."

Sasuke slithered out from under his teammate and knelt in the Kudzu in front of him, reaching a hand around to touch the places his shirt was sticking uncomfortably to his back.

_This_ is what it was like to train with Naruto—so fierce, so strong, so… _aggravating_!

When was he ever going to grasp the point? Sasuke supposed he shouldn't be surprised any more, nothing involving the loud moron ever went quite as planned—he truly was #1 at the unexpected. Naruto's eyes weren't so livid now, which was a small comfort, although the _Phase II_ exercise had been a complete disaster.

As he looked at Naruto, he had to agree that it really was a nice shirt, and it really did look good on him.

"I didn't think you'd let so many of them get crushed," Sasuke taunted him pointedly. Naruto scowled, using his fingers to scrape off some of the larger bits of fruit from the mesh shirt.

Sasuke sighed, "I see we're going to have to try this again; you destroyed most of the strawberries on your own."

Naruto glared, then chuckled, "Yeah. I forgot what I was supposed to be doing after you got that first strawberry."

Naruto raised a hand to touch the back of his neck, his smile becoming a grin and the gesture revealing a long line of his muscular midsection, splotched with strawberry juice and pulp. Sasuke licked his lips subconsciously, thinking he looked quite tasty.

"Hn."

Sasuke got to his feet and brushed the dirt of the forest off his clothes, dismayed to find it stuck to the juice on his hands. But seeing Naruto's smiling face, he found it hard to be too annoyed with him. He held a hand out to Naruto, who clasped it in his own equally dirty one, and let himself be pulled him up to his feet. Sasuke looked him over, the mesh shirt dripping with red juice. He turned to go, looking over his shoulder at his teammate.

"Come on. I'll let you use my shower."

They made it quickly to the house, not talking, and Naruto obediently followed him up the steps. Sasuke felt a thrill at the idea of Naruto using his shower… naked and soapy and… _naked_… but tried not to show his thoughts. He didn't want to scare him off; things were already kind of tense.

It was clear they were sort of testing each other, seeing what they could get away with, while trying to act like nothing was changing.

Once in his room, Sasuke went over to the armoire and took out a neatly folded pair of black shorts, and a black shirt with a wide collar and an Uchiha fan on the back. Naruto was looking around, examining his scrolls, and Sasuke let him be, moving to the bathroom and taking out a towel from the closet there. He set everything on the marble sink and then joined Naruto by the sofa.

"I put a towel and some clothes in there for you. Go help yourself."

Naruto smiled sheepishly, "Uh… did you want to use it first? It's your shower…"

What Sasuke _wanted_ was to go in there with him and use his hands and tongue to clean every inch of Naruto's body. On impulse, he reached up his right hand to Naruto's blond hair and ran his fingers through it, flicking off some strawberry bits. '_Would it be so bad if he suggested it—if he made a move_?'

Naruto wasn't moving away, permitting Sasuke's fingers to comb through his wild hair, which seemed promising, especially since Naruto _had_ kissed his cheek just last night. Sasuke considered his options, his lightning fast brain forming a strategy in mere milliseconds.

They were both still alert from fighting, so if Naruto tried to punch him, he was reasonably sure he could block it. Naruto was in his house as his guest, which might make him a little less inclined to start a ruckus. Even if he didn't respond well… he'd probably get over it pretty soon anyhow; Naruto didn't usually hold grudges too long.

And at least then, he'd know what Naruto really thought. Sasuke decided he could probably only get away with a small move, a little gesture to say he was interested…to see if Naruto was interested too…

Looking into those blue eyes, he curled his hand over the back of Naruto's head and rested his palm against the nape of his neck, steadying his body. Heart hammering in his chest, Sasuke leaned forward, and with a lazy, deliberate slide of his tongue, he licked a strawberry morsel from the inner edge of Naruto's collarbone, and then the one above it on the side of his neck.

Naruto's skin was so warm—warm under his palm, warm beneath his lips, warm from the heat trapped within the Kudzu cocoon all afternoon, warm from the physical battle they'd had. Sasuke memorized that warmth and let it wash over him from the half-second they had skin contact, and fought not to move away too suddenly, though he still had a mild fear that his teammate would take a swing at him.

Despite the lust pulsing in his body, Sasuke somehow managed to pull back and let go as if he hadn't done anything unusual at all, tasting the heady combination of strawberry and Naruto's bold fighting spirit on his tongue.

For a second time, he felt an invitation to shower together race up his throat and attempt to burst from his lips, but he bit it back, shrugging and saying instead, "I'll go after you."

He glanced into Naruto's blue eyes, trying to capture his reaction, and caught a glimpse of something that made his stomach drop before the blond looked away, his lips still curved in a half smile. He saw a flush spread across Naruto's cheeks, and Sasuke quickly looked elsewhere, feeling the stirrings of a much stronger, lower reaction of his own.

Naruto glanced back at him and smiled, "Thanks." He made his way into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Sasuke let out the breath he'd been holding, and sat down on the sofa, wondering how he'd make it past the next few minutes having to listen to an ungodly sexy blond take a shower twenty feet from him. He sighed, leaning his head forward into this hands and trying not to imagine the scene on the other side of the door—he wondered desperately how long it would take to _cross_ that barrier, instead of tiptoeing near it, since for now it unfortunately meant he had to use considerable personal discipline to keep his hands to himself.

In the end, Sasuke left his room and went down into the kitchen to make some tea, hoping that some physical distance might quell his overactive imagination. He thought wryly that this must be what Kakashi-sensei had been talking about—Naruto in general was almost too much for Sasuke's nerves, especially lately, not to mention a Naruto dripping with sweet strawberry juice or taking a shower in Sasuke's own bathroom.

The minutes ticked by, and Sasuke leaned his elbows on the kitchen island, looking out the window to the front courtyard and willing his mind to focus on finalizing a strategy for the Hunt. Soon he heard the water stop, and not long after that he heard Naruto's footsteps coming down the stairs. When they rounded the corner into the kitchen, Sasuke turned his head and felt his heart seize up.

He was going to have to modify his earlier statements: Naruto, freshly showered and wearing Sasuke's own clothes, was damn near the sexiest thing he'd ever seen.

His blond hair when damp was like old gold, falling around his head in irregular chunks. The black clothing was a little tight—Sasuke definitely had a slimmer build—but it didn't seem to bother Naruto's movements one bit. His blue eyes stood out in hypnotic allure, shining from their background of black and gold. Sasuke was very glad that he was already being held up by the counter and didn't have to rely on his own limbs to keep upright.

"Um, you know Sasuke," Naruto said, a little hesitantly. He turned halfway around, showing his teammate the back of the shirt. "Are you sure I can borrow this? It's got your crest and everything…"

Sasuke felt the inner growling of the Alpha-male instinct that insisted Naruto should always wear his crest, and caged the feeling away for future contemplation.

"It's fine," he answered, waving it off. He stood up, passing Naruto a mug of tea.

Naruto nodded thanks, and leaned against the island counter to sip it. He held up his strawberry covered clothes in his other hand, "Uh, do you have something I can put these in?"

Sasuke took the bundle wordlessly and disappeared behind the kitchen somewhere with them. When he returned, he said only, "I'll take care of it. The strawberries were my idea."

After a few minutes of slightly awkward, but companionable silence, Naruto offered a tidbit of information.

"I saw Tsunade-baa-chan this morning. She says she's giving a speech about the Hunt tomorrow night."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, interest piqued. "Hmmm." He mirrored his rival, facing him and leaning a hip against the counter. "Did she tell you what she's got planned?"

"_No_," Naruto grumbled in annoyance.

Sasuke sipped his tea. "I found out some interesting things from Kakashi-sensei."

"Oh yeah? What'd he say?" Naruto asked in typical enthusiasm, his blue eyes sparkling.

Sasuke shrugged, pleased to have valuable information to share. "Anko's off the list as a possible opponent. Kakashi says she'll be stuck on a mission."

"Good," Naruto said with relief, "She's got too many weird jutsus she learned from—" He stopped just in time; none of them ever said the name of _that man_.

Sasuke touched his neck involuntarily, fingering the place that used to be marked with the seal of Heaven, but was now just pale, unblemished creamy skin. He continued, not wanting to linger on the subject.

"Hinata and Shino, as well as Shino's dad will all be back in time though, so we'll have to consider how to handle them, assuming they enter the Hunt."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, and we know Kiba's competing."

"Right," Sasuke agreed. "Kakashi also told me something interesting about the Feudal Lords."

"Feudal Lords? Isn't this a ninja festival?" Naruto scratched his head, then brushed some of his dripping hair out of his face.

"Yes, but it's still a big chance for them to come see our village, and bet heavily on the outcome of the Hunt." Sasuke sipped more tea, watching Naruto draw his own conclusions.

"You mean they're coming to gamble on us, like during the Chuunin exams?" Naruto asked.

"Exactly. Except it's only the Lords from Fire Country, so there are no other countries to lose to. The friendlier atmosphere, the festival going on and everyone in good spirits; it's a given that they will bet more freely. You know Tsunade-sama won't miss out on gambling with her peers." Sasuke said.

Naruto shook his head, muttering, "Tsunade no _Baka_."

Sasuke had to agree; it was too bad that their Hokage wasn't known for her _good_ luck.

"Anyways, once we know who we're up against, we can come up with a strategy so you can beat them," Sasuke told him, the gears of his mind furiously whirring.

"And we need to find out exactly what this Hunt is _for_, and where it's going to take place," Naruto added.

"Tsunade-sama said she's giving a speech?" Sasuke questioned, brows creasing.

"Yeah, at the Opening Ceremony," Naruto confirmed.

Sasuke thought for a moment, wondering how much she could really say in a formal speech at the festival, when Naruto's voice interjected, "Are you going? Tomorrow night?"

Sasuke's ears flattened against his head in slight alarm, remembering Kakashi's drawling voice and perverted hints about dark corners and _blonds_. He felt his cheeks grow hot and hoped it wasn't visible. He raised his tea mug just in case, sipping quickly and blocking the view.

"…Probably."

"Me too," Naruto added, looking like he wanted to ask him to go, but was unsure of how to do it.

He wasn't so sure they were ready to go together to a very public, very _romantic_ setting, if Kakashi could be believed. Sasuke quickly decided to ease the tension, "I'm sure I'll see you there."

Naruto's smile faltered, but he soon wiped it off. "Yeah, I'll see you there." He drank the rest of his tea, gulping, and then set his mug down on the counter. He ran a hand through his blond hair.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Yeah?"

Naruto paused like he was debating how to express what was on his mind. "Why are you helping me?"

His blue eyes held even more questions in their gaze, and Sasuke felt his heart flutter as he searched for an answer that was accurate, while not telling too much. He shifted against the counter subconsciously before answering.

"We're teammates," he said simply, hoping it would be enough. He sipped his tea to hide his nervousness.

Naruto grinned at him, his blue eyes dancing. "Thanks, Sasuke," he said, rubbing the back of his neck again as Sasuke shrugged demurely to play down the sentiment. Then, impulsively, Naruto stepped towards him and planted a quick peck on his right cheek.

Sasuke stood absolutely still with shock, seeing Naruto grin at him for a moment before turning and quickly rushing out of the kitchen and around the corner to put on his sandals. His voice floated back over to Sasuke.

"Later! See you tomorrow night!" And then Sasuke heard the door open and close, signaling his teammate's departure.

A few minutes later, blushing shyly in his own kitchen, Sasuke was finally able to respond: "Absolutely."

* * *

--

* * *

Iruka left the mission office quickly, hurrying on his errand and thankful for a few moments to himself.

The day had been a steady stream of one thing or another, all festival related, and at this point in the evening his nerves were just about _shot_. He couldn't believe his good luck at drawing the short straw and being sent on a food run, even though none of them working that night at the mission office would get an actual dinner break.

He hurried through the village, his stomach demanding Ichiraku's Ramen with incessant rumbling growls. He barely noticed the strings of lanterns lighting the streets, or the colorful decorations that were spreading from building to building, he was so focused on his goal. He rounded the corner, and lifted the curtain of his favorite Ramen shop.

The proprietor, Teuchi-san, turned halfway from his cooking and smiled, "Welcome!" Then he realized it was one of his best customers, and greeted him more warmly.

"Ah! Iruka-sensei! Back again so soon, I see!"

Iruka flushed a little at the teasing, agreeing with him, "Sure am!"

He ordered on behalf of the mission office and Hokage office combined as he sat down on a free stool, swinging his legs around to sit squarely. His sandals touched something that rustled, and he looked down, seeing a large white shopping bag and turning to apologize to the person next to him.

Iruka straightened up in surprise.

"_Sasuke-kun_!" he said, at a loss for words, not expecting to run into his former student that night, nevermind at a Ramen stand.

Sasuke looked surprised as well, but mostly acted like his usual cool self as he nodded a greeting, setting down his chopsticks. Iruka felt sweat break out on his palms; this was the first time he'd seen the Uchiha since Naruto had come running to his office a few days ago and confessed about their little, er, _encounter_ at the river.

It was actually rather shocking to see him, knowing that he and Naruto could one day soon be a secret couple. Iruka couldn't help but look at the boy's face, trying to see if he was wearing make-up or something to hide where Naruto had hit him. Or wait, would he have been healed by now? '_Oh yeah, he was supposed to train with Naruto today, I wonder how it went…_'

"I didn't know you liked Ramen, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka froze at the sound of his name, heartbeat pounding in his ears—he instantly knew who the voice belonged to but wasn't sure he really wanted to look. Sasuke was watching him steadily, and Iruka swallowed, then leaned towards the counter to peek around Sasuke to see a silver haired devil on the teen's other side.

Iruka laughed nervously, "Ha, ha, ha! There's a lot you don't know about me, Kakashi-sensei!"

He smiled in what he hoped was a professionally friendly way, even though he suddenly felt like he was walking through a mine field. He'd been around Kakashi and Sasuke loads of times, but not since Naruto had told him his side of the story, or _worse_—since he'd accidentally slipped to Naruto about the real deal going on with him and Kakashi.

At once, Iruka became only too aware of how many secrets were stretching between the three of them, maybe even the four of them, and the web could break at any moment. Especially if Sasuke and Naruto were about to begin their own relationship—Naruto might even have already told Sasuke!

Iruka inhaled slowly through his nose, and exhaled through his mouth. This was nothing to worry about. No big deal. _No. Big. Deal._

Iruka cleared his throat, "What brings you two to Ichiraku's? I don't see either of you here very often."

He shifted on his stool a bit. Why was Sasuke still staring at him? He ran a hand over his ponytail self-consciously.

Kakashi chuckled, "Oh, we were out shopping and got a little hungry." He held up his large white shopping bag that matched Sasuke's. "We bought new Yukata for tomorrow night."

"Oh," Iruka commented, "For the Opening Ceremony?"

Kakashi nodded, "It should be loads of fun. Are you going, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka flushed, looking away. _Damn_! He hadn't had a chance before now to tell Kakashi about how he'd switched his shift and was meeting up with Naruto. He'd originally hoped to meet up with his lover for the fireworks at least, but it was too strange to be talking to him with Sasuke there, and his nerves didn't feel up to trying to make plans with him in secret code. He and Kakashi hardly ever crossed paths outside of their apartments–unless Kakashi was playing some lewd game–but they did have some code phrases that wouldn't sound like anything unusual to the casual listener.

Iruka sighed, he was too tired for this. He'd just answer the question, and talk with Kakashi about it later.

"I was supposed to work tomorrow night at the mission office, but I got Mozuku to cover my shift. So I'm meeting up with Naruto to go the festival."

Iruka didn't miss Sasuke's twitch of surprise at this news, nor did he overlook Kakashi's little smile, the kind that usually preceded something _perverted_.

Sure enough, Kakashi leaned forward with too much excitement. "Well, why don't we all go together? Sasuke and I were going to go, and you and Naruto have plans–the more the merrier. _Right_?"

Iruka gaped. Did he not understand how… _awkward_ that would be? What was he thinking?

Iruka looked at Sasuke, and found that he'd finally stopped staring at him and was now facing Kakashi. He couldn't tell from the back, but he wouldn't be surprised if Sasuke was glaring. He looked back at Kakashi, who was clearly enjoying himself.

Iruka narrowed his eyes, "I wouldn't want to intrude, Kakashi-sensei," he deferred the invitation modestly, hoping his voice would convey his feelings.

"Nonsense!" Kakashi replied, "We would love to have you two join us! In fact, we insist—right Sasuke?" Iruka watched his lover turn to their student.

Sasuke tried to intervene, clearing his throat before speaking up, "Iruka-sensei and Naruto might have made their own plans. We shouldn't push them, Kakashi-sensei."

Iruka didn't know what passed between them, but Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned back to his Ramen in a huff, lifting his chopsticks and taking a bite without spilling a drop of broth. Iruka would have stopped to wonder how he ate so neatly, but Kakashi was speaking again, and he turned his attention back to him.

"Iruka-sensei, did you have something special planned?" Kakashi asked. Iruka hesitated too long, and Kakashi continued anyway. "No? It's settled then. I'll take care of the dinner reservations; don't worry about a thing."

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled in that disarming way of his, although Iruka was relieved that it didn't seem to be working on him at the moment. He opened his mouth to protest, but the Jounin cut him off.

"Where do you think we should meet?" Kakashi looked from Iruka to Sasuke and back to Iruka.

"Er, well I…" Iruka didn't know what to say; he felt totally furious. What he _really_ wanted was to undo this whole thing when he had Kakashi alone—this kind of manipulation just wasn't fair!

Sasuke had finished his ramen and adopted his usual pose of pretentious boredom. Iruka was debating what the least awkward meeting place might be, seeking to head off whatever devious scheme his lover was composing, when Kakashi asked another question.

"Iruka-sensei, where are you meeting Naruto?"

Iruka crinkled his brow, "He's coming to my place…"

"Well then Sasuke and I could meet you there, too. Where do you live?" Kakashi grinned at him beneath the mask.

"Uh," Iruka glared, "Are you sure? My place isn't that big… and it's, er, _way_ on the edge of all the festival stuff…"

He tried to come up with any excuse, he did _not_ want to have the four of them in his tiny living room. He didn't want the four of them to be in any room, of any size really… it was just too absurd! His annoyance and fatigue was getting in the way of his brain.

"Perfect! Then we have many choices about which part of the festival to try out first! Would you give us directions, please? Iruka-sensei?"

Kakashi had made his voice buttery with persuasion, and Iruka couldn't think of any way to refuse without seeming exceptionally rude to everyone around them, despite Kakashi's shameless and impolite maneuvering.

He sighed, trying not to sound too irritated since they were in public. He hated it when Kakashi got like this! He gave the directions, for Sasuke's benefit, since he too was being manipulated by the Jounin.

"It's the third building on Hotarubi street, the one with a circular top floor and domed roof. I'm on the second floor in the corner, fifth door."

"Great!" Kakashi grinned, "We'll be over, say…6:00pm? Things should just be getting underway around then. Okay?"

Defeated, he nodded, "Fine." But then Iruka glared—it was not fine! It was far from fine!

The happy-go-lucky voice of Teuchi-san interrupted Iruka's train of thought, "Here you go, Iruka-sensei! Can you carry all that?"

Iruka turned and looked at the four huge bags stuffed with to-go cartons of Ramen. He stood up, reassuring the Chef and thanking him for his quick work. Iruka turned to Sasuke and Kakashi, glaring a threat at the latter, and smiling warmly at the former.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun." The dark teen regarded him steadily, mouth quirking as he nodded his black head in matching sentiments. Iruka collected his bags of take-out, balancing them effortlessly, and bid them goodnight.

He ducked under the curtain in the doorway without waiting for a reply, making his way back to work with near-relief, which struck him as ironic considering how he'd felt heading to Ichiraku's in the first place.

"Tch," he muttered, annoyed that he was going from one stressful situation to another, albeit for different reasons.

_Damn_ that Kakashi. Iruka's brows creased severely. Why would he deliberately set up a situation like that? It wasn't right to meddle; this wasn't the time for one of his lewd games! Good heavens, what would Naruto say when he found out? And how was he supposed tell him if he couldn't undo the damage?

In any case, there was one Special Jounin who _certainly_ wasn't getting any that night.

_…Probably._

Iruka sighed, picking up the pace back to his hungry co-workers, the anxiety in his chest coiling heavier than the overstuffed bags of take-out Ramen.

* * *

[to be continued...]


	7. Chapter 7

**

* * *

**

**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 7:

* * *

Iruka looked tired. Tired and … edgy.

Kakashi hid his presence; he melted into the shadowed surroundings with practiced ease, and watched his lover trudge up the street to his apartment building and disappear through the main entryway. A minute later, Iruka emerged from the interior stairs onto the second floor, and down the outer hallway to his corner apartment door. Kakashi saw him go inside, catching a brief glimpse of Iruka's features as he closed the door, his face worn out and pinched with tension.

Kakashi pressed his lips together beneath his mask, suspecting that their meeting at the Ramen shop might have contributed to the expression—Iruka was always uncomfortable when they saw each other in public. He also probably hadn't been thrilled by the idea of a pseudo-double date for _First Night_.

But that was nothing a nice, quiet evening couldn't fix. Although… maybe he wouldn't go up there to see Iruka right away; he also suspected Iruka needed to have some time alone after the last few hectic days surrounded by so many people—students, ninjas, diplomats—and answering to their various needs or demands without much of a break.

Kakashi crouched invisibly, resting his elbows on his knees, prepared to wait. He could give him at least fifteen minutes.

The Jounin had long ago accepted the duty of being Iruka's primary (and favorite) mode of stress relief. He could remember each and every time the man had attacked him and worked off some steam, in which the both of them were thoroughly satisfied in the process. He was anxious to go inside, and use any or all the skills at his disposal to bring the happy smile back to his lover's face, though right now maybe Iruka just needed to be alone.

In the meantime, Kakashi amused himself by allowing his analytical brain to come up with many varied and perverted ways of erasing Iruka's weary look and replacing it with his favorite sight: Iruka flushed, aroused, and panting… hair down, damp with sweat, eyes shut from the intensity of their activities… teeth biting into his luscious bottom lip…

Kakashi dabbed the back of his glove to his nose to prevent a nosebleed, then shook his head and stood up. Perhaps that was _enough_ waiting.

The moon shone high in the sky above, a degree shy of full. It was late enough that the streets weren't at all crowded, but there were a few people lingering who, like Iruka, had been working after hours helping with the festival in some way or another, and were slowly making their way home.

Kakashi darted from shadow to shadow, using all his skills of stealth. Usually he went in the back way through Iruka's bedroom window, but just in case Iruka was in there getting ready for bed, he decided to use the riskier entrance through the front door. He didn't want to startle him–Iruka could be quite testy when stressed out.

After making sure there was nobody looking, he climbed up the side wall to the second floor and hopped over the railing, flinging open Iruka's door in lightning speed. He closed it behind him just as quickly and soundlessly; the only give-away was the draft of air that swirled with him into the room.

Iruka was sitting at his kitchen table, an almost empty bowl of chocolate ice-cream in front of him. The younger man didn't move, other than to jerk his head up sharply and glare at the intruder. Kakashi stayed where he was by the door, giving his signature wave and trying to look innocent and cute.

"Yo," he said, his voice upbeat.

"I'm _not_ happy with you right now." Iruka's voice was hard, matching his tight expression and the stiffness in his body.

Okay… not the way he thought things would start.

Kakashi slipped off his shoes, and hung his flak jacket on the hook by Iruka's, determined to have a rational conversation and not be thrown out immediately. What had he done, anyways? He reached his fingers up to his mask and began to slip it down his face, walking casually towards his lover though his blood was tingling with the premonition of impending danger–responding to the harsh gaze being directed his way. He sometimes forgot how _powerful_ Iruka was.

He reached out to the back of the chair opposite the Chuunin, perhaps subconsciously wanting to keep something solid between them as they talked, but Iruka crossed his feet on the seat underneath the table, using the muscles in his toned legs to keep it firmly tucked in place.

Kakashi regarded him for a moment, allowing his partner the petty pleasure of lashing out if it would made him feel better. He moved to lean his shoulder against the wall instead, folding his arms and stretching the muscles around his mouth that had been covered by the mask for most of the day.

Whatever it was, it had to be a simple misunderstanding.

"I can explain," he offered with a gentle voice.

"I'm sure you can," Iruka said sarcastically, eating a heaping bite of ice-cream and then folding his arms defiantly across his chest. He chewed once and swallowed. "But I'm not interested in hearing it."

Kakashi sighed. He hated when Iruka got like this.

He hated when they had misunderstandings, because it always turned out that they really had the same opinion, but chose vastly different ways of expressing it. The time it took to figure out that they didn't disagree in the first place was always draining–both physically and emotionally. He decided he better get right to the point and find out just what was bothering the man.

"Iruka, what is it that you're mad about, exactly?"

Iruka glared at him, "For starters, you were a total jackass at Ichiraku's!"

_Ah_.

"Weren't you complaining just this morning that you wouldn't be able to go to _First Night_? Now we can go together, even if we have to baby-sit two teenagers," Kakashi paused, chuckling, though Iruka rolled his eyes at him as he emptied his bowl of chocolate ice-cream.

"Tch," Iruka commented after some mouthfuls.

"It'll be fun!" Kakashi tried to mollify him. Then, trying to guess what had annoyed Iruka, he offered, "Did you want to meet somewhere else? We'll only be here for a few minutes, so I thought this would be the most convenient meeting point."

Iruka's glare grew even darker.

"I was only thinking of our students, Iruka," Kakashi said, feeling a little defensive.

"_Hah_! You were only trying to arrange something awkwardly perverted for your own selfish amusement!" Iruka brushed a lock of hair from his face in annoyance, tucking it behind his ear.

Kakashi raised his eyebrows in challenge, and Iruka glanced away, then continued, "Couldn't we have at least _talked_ about it first, before you invited yourself and one of our students over to my apartment? What if Naruto and I had had serious plans?"

"Did you and Naruto really have plans?" Kakashi asked.

"No!" Iruka rolled his eyes, sighing in frustration. "But that's not the point! The point is, you were pushy, and you forced me into hosting a group outing at my apartment, without my permission, and without heeding any of my signals that I wanted to talk to you later, alone!"

"It's _later_, and we're _talking_, and we're _alone_…" Kakashi pointed out, unfolding one of his hands to gesture eloquently.

"If you don't understand how completely rude you were, then I can't explain it to you. I certainly teach my students better manners!"

Kakashi sighed, "Are you saying that you'd rather go with just Naruto?"

"Right now I'd rather go with him than with _you_," Iruka sneered.

"Don't you think Sasuke would mind if you kept Naruto all to yourself?"

Iruka huffed, "Don't you think Sasuke minded being pushed into your perverted plans?"

"What about Naruto?" Kakashi countered, "Don't you think he might want to spend some of _First Night_ with Sasuke?"

"I'm sure he doesn't want to spend it being tortured by you, Kakashi—you're notorious for making people uncomfortable, and Naruto doesn't need anything else to worry him right now," Iruka stated, defiant.

"So keeping Naruto all to yourself is somehow… _unselfish_?" He raised his brows to make the point.

Iruka jabbed his spoon in the air at him. "Naruto invited me to go with him out of genuine _friendship_. He wanted company that he didn't have to be nervous around—so how do you think he's going to react when he finds out that both you and Sasuke are coming along?"

"Why would Naruto be nervous around me? We've known each other for years."

Kakashi shifted his position against the wall, crossing an ankle over his other foot to look casual, even though he was starting to feel as annoyed as Iruka looked. He didn't _torture_ people. He could understand Naruto being nervous around Sasuke, considering what was going on, but it shouldn't matter if he was there too.

Iruka scowled at him, "_You know how you are_. Things with him and Sasuke are so… _new_. He doesn't need you interfering, Kakashi!"

Kakashi shrugged, "Naruto can handle it, as can Sasuke. What I'm wondering about is _you_, Iruka—you're the only one who's upset. What's really wrong?"

Iruka humphed, eating the last bite of his ice-cream. He stood and turned, putting the bowl down loudly in the sink, the spoon clanking against the ceramic. He leaned back against the cabinets with elbows bent and hands gripping the edge of the counter.

"I want you to call it off!" Iruka demanded.

_Damn_ if he wasn't sexy when he was mad.

"Why? It's going to be really fun, if you'd only just relax," Kakashi tried to soothe him, moving a few steps closer to where he was standing, skirting around the edge of the small table. What was really making him so tense? It couldn't just be the borderline rudeness at the Ramen shop… Kakashi knew he definitely wasn't known in the village for having perfect social skills.

Iruka pointed his finger at Kakashi's chest, the lock of hair slipping back out from behind his ear, "I don't want you meddling with our students, Kakashi. They deserve a chance to figure things out for themselves, in their own way!"

Kakashi moved his hand to gently tuck the hair back into place, but Iruka jerked his head out of reach and did it himself. The Jounin let his arm fall back to his side, and he regarded Iruka for a moment before responding.

"So it's okay for you to ask me to check up on Sasuke, whether he wanted it or not, but it's not okay for me to suggest something that will benefit _everyone_, and ask you to do nothing but enjoy yourself?" Kakashi's blue eye locked steadily on his lover's.

"What makes you think we will all benefit from this arrangement? I think the only one perverted enough to be at ease is _you_, Kakashi!"

"Nonsense," Kakashi fought not to glare back at his lover, "You're making too much of this, Iruka."

"And you're taking it too lightly!" Iruka's voice cracked as he yelled, and he stopped to press both his palms over his eyes, and then smooth his hands over his face. His eyes when they opened were still petulant.

Kakashi tried to remain in control of himself. "Explain it to me—how is inviting you and Naruto out with me and Sasuke _meddling_, and sending me on reconnaissance to the Uchiha district _not meddling_?"

"I dropped a hint about that out of _concern_," Iruka shot back, "You followed up on it out of _perverse curiosity_!"

Kakashi felt a tiny spark of anger from behind his sternum, and his eyebrows seemed to slide together of their own accord. His voice dropped, taking on a husky edge. "That's unfair, Iruka."

"Well you checked up on him anyways, didn't you? Even if you thought he wouldn't like it? Even if you thought it was none of your business? Even if you thought I was wrong to ask?" Iruka leaned forward with each question, using his body to punctuate his words with sarcastic jerks of his chin.

Kakashi was glaring, but he kept his voice from lashing back. "I checked up on him because I respect your opinion, Iruka, and you seldom ask me to do things since you're so capable yourself."

"Then respect my opinion now, and cancel this fiasco-waiting-to-happen!" Iruka challenged, banging his fist on the table.

"I won't do that, Iruka," Kakashi shook his head as he scowled back at his lover, leaning into the table with palms flat, "It's exactly what they need right now. What we _all_ need right now."

Iruka's expression was fraught with frustrated disbelief. "They're just kids! You can't play with them like this, forcing them into a situation when they don't even know how to act around each other—"

"—You don't know that, Iruka," Kakashi tried to point out, but the teacher wasn't listening.

"—and at _First Night_! Ugh! _First Night_ is nothing but half-drunk couples being overly touchy-feely and wandering into dark corners, and-and—"

"—That's _exactly_ it!" Kakashi raised his voice, and this time Iruka faltered at the unexpected agreement.

"—making out, and … Wait, what?" Iruka was looking at him, eyes still angry but mouth confused.

Kakashi glared at him, willing his voice to be calmer than the angry churning in his stomach. Why was it that Iruka always thought he was the only teacher who cared about his students? And why did he consistently act like Kakashi knew nothing at all about how to handle his team? Team Seven was _his_, last he checked, and he didn't appreciate anyone interfering. Even Iruka.

"Are you going to listen to me now?"

"Tch," Iruka glared, then looked away as if he were bored, a perfect mirror of their black haired student.

When the Chuunin didn't respond further, Kakashi stood up and folded his arms. They weren't going to get anywhere at this point. Not if Iruka was behaving like this; he'd have to speak with Tsunade and find out what the hell she'd been making him do for the past few days. He sighed, deciding to end the argument before they both started reaching for weapons.

"I have a suggestion."

Iruka slid his chocolate brown eyes back to look at Kakashi, raising one eyebrow in a cocky, non-verbal response. Kakashi was seething on the inside, but his voice was calm when he spoke.

"Why don't we let the boys settle it? We'll all meet here tomorrow night as planned, and go to the Opening Ceremony festivities. Then you and I can keep an eye on them, and we'll both be able to see which of us is right."

Iruka considered this for a moment, then pointed smartly at the older man. "Fine. But if I feel it's necessary to call off this experiment, I _will_. Understand?"

Kakashi rolled his eye, waving Iruka's worries aside. "Fine, fine. If—_IF_—there's some disaster, then you can take Naruto and go."

Kakashi didn't dwell on the irritating fact that Iruka worried about Naruto far more than Sasuke, even though Sasuke was the one who had been beat to hell in their little sparring experiment. But bringing that up now wouldn't help. Fighting with Iruka was tiring in the extreme; he much preferred when they fought over who got to please who first.

They glared at each other for more than a minute, and then Kakashi held out his hand. "Truce?"

Iruka's eyes narrowed further, but after a moment he hesitantly clasped the Jounin's. "Truce."

Kakashi didn't let go right away, holding onto Iruka's hand and giving them both a chance to calm down. Twice, the younger man tried to pull back, but eventually gave in to the slight contact although Kakashi could tell that his emotions were still running high. His face was still pinched with stress.

Kakashi ran his thumb along the back of Iruka's hand, stroking him softly in the silence of the kitchen. He didn't want to leave when they were both still angry, but there was no way he was staying, either. Not after this.

Iruka's other arm was wrapped across his body protectively, and Kakashi wished wholeheartedly that they never had arguments like this. It didn't help that he knew he was right–he hated the way something so irrelevant could drive a huge wedge between them.

"I hate when we fight like this," he commented, making no movements other than the gentle stroking of Iruka's hand.

Iruka looked like he had a smart remark at the tip of his tongue; instead, he tightened his lips, and then sighed. After a long moment, he muttered an agreement, "It's no fun."

Iruka's fatigue seemed to catch up with him, and Kakashi watched as his shoulders began to slump where he stood. Kakashi gave a small tug on Iruka's hand, pulling him a little bit closer. Iruka stiffened in typical stubborn resistance, so Kakashi closed the distance and simply pulled his lover against him in a comforting hug.

Iruka fought harder at first, but Kakashi refused to be pushed away, and eventually Iruka sighed and rested his chin on the Jounin's shoulder. Kakashi let go of his hand so he could settle both arms loosely around Iruka's back, and felt the dregs of his anger dissipate with the feeling of Iruka's arms slipping around his body as well.

They stood there in the kitchen, still and silent, for several minutes. Then Kakashi turned his head and pressed his lips against Iruka's neck just below his ear, whispering, "You'd better get some sleep."

Iruka turned to look at him, his gaze calculating. He nodded in agreement. Kakashi slid one hand up Iruka's back as he leaned in and kissed him goodnight, a soft pressure that made his body respond as it always did, though he firmly resisted the urge to turn the chaste kiss into something more passionate.

Iruka's lips were quivering, tentative—simultaneously allowing and questioning the kiss. Kakashi didn't push it. He was only saying goodnight. As much as he wanted to wipe the weariness from his lover with hands and mouth and tongue, it wouldn't be right; Iruka needed plain sleep to ease the level of stress he was displaying.

When Kakashi automatically slid his tongue along Iruka's lower lip without his brain's permission he pulled back quickly, knowing that it would only make it harder for him to leave if he gave into the part of him that wanted to stay and enjoy his lover's closeness, even for just _one_ more minute.

Iruka's left hand had already moved to his chest, ready to push him away. Kakashi looked into the deep brown eyes of his lover and read the same divided emotions he'd felt in the kiss.

"Don't even try… Kakashi…" Iruka's voice was firm but breathy. It sounded like the exact opposite of what his lover wanted, and Kakashi knew if he tried to seduce him, he'd succeed brilliantly.

But Kakashi simply leaned in and kissed his right eyebrow, whispering, "I love you too much for that, Iruka."

He gave the man a quick squeeze, and turned away while he still had the courage to gather his flak jacket and sandals. He heard Iruka cross his arms and take a few tentative steps across the kitchen linoleum.

"See you tomorrow," Kakashi said, blowing a kiss across the space between them, and then vanishing through the door and into the night.

He was grateful for the cool air that cut away the heat licking along his skin from Iruka's touch. He skipped invisibly over the rooftops to his side of town, heart twisted—it was sometimes more aggravating than he ever thought it could be to allow someone to get so close to you.

He wouldn't trade one evening with Iruka, even this awful one, for anything else out there, though he still had happy memories from the years of his life when he was alone and independent, and rarely had to consider the impact of his actions on others. But had that been better? Simpler, maybe. But not as good.

Kakashi knew everything would be worked out the next day, but it sure didn't make it any easier to go home to his empty bed _voluntarily_. It would be the first night in a while that Iruka wouldn't be beside him.

At least no one could accuse him of being a pervert this time.

* * *

--

* * *

Naruto woke up with the feeling that he'd only just closed his eyes, although the sun peeking softly into his tiny apartment window cleared any doubts that night had passed.

He yawned and stretched, then pulled his limbs into the center of his body and buried his nose in his chest to inhale the delicious scent of Sasuke. He wrapped his arms around his torso, feeling the high quality cotton of the shirt he'd borrowed and then slept in—unwilling to remove the part of Sasuke that he'd been able to bring to his bed. His lips spread in a boyish grin.

Tonight was the Opening Ceremony, and not only would he finally hear about the Hunt, but he'd also see Sasuke again. How could he _not_ be excited? At least this time he wouldn't have to worry about his clothes getting ruined—there shouldn't be anything at the festival that would need pre-washing or stain-removers afterwards.

He rubbed the front of his body, remembering the strawberries and the mess that went with it, and for a second it was almost like touching his rival: athletic male body…lush, expensive fabric…hard, throbbing erection…

Naruto groaned. Well, it was to be expected for someone his age to wake up with a raging hard-on. Especially since he was wearing Sasuke's clothes, smelling Sasuke's scent, and lusting after Sasuke's gorgeous self. He stroked the bulge from outside the tight shorts, chuckling at the effect a certain Uchiha could have on him from miles away, and then groaned again in frustration that it was just one more illusion—he really couldn't wait much longer for the real thing.

He moved his hand away.

He didn't want any more fantasies, he wanted _Sasuke_.

Reluctantly stripping the clothes from his body, Naruto ambled over to his bathroom and began to get ready for the day. Once he'd eaten and armed himself, Naruto flung open his door and raced over to the Hokage office, with a minor feeling of dejà vu—the streets were just starting to come alive, gaudy decorations strung everywhere as if they'd sprouted overnight as quick as Kudzu. He smiled with relief that there wasn't even one person in line to see Tsunade yet.

Naruto ran up to the double doors of her office and disregarded the half-awake glances of her assistants Kotetsu and Izumo, opening the door for himself and bursting into the half-dark room.

"Yo, Tsunade-no-Baa…" Naruto's voice trailed off, since the Hokage wasn't even there.

The room was completely empty, and also in mild disarray; probably from all the visitors and activity over the last few days. He looked from side to side to see if she was sleeping somewhere, when he heard an annoyed _tsk_-ing from the vicinity of her desk.

"Good grief, barging in like that," said a young woman with short, scruffy dark hair, emerging from behind the several tall piles of paperwork loaded on the desk. "It's absolutely dreadful!"

Naruto scowled as Shizune stood up, making her way around the desk to face him with her usual air of disapproval. He didn't know what he'd ever done to her, but the days when she used to smile at him were long gone.

"If _I_ were Hokage I wouldn't allow brats like you to act so disrespectfully!" She tossed her head and looked down her nose at him.

Naruto laughed in her face, "You? Hokage? You're _looking_ at the next Hokage, so I wouldn't act so _disrespectfully_ if I were you."

He didn't bother to hide the scorn in his voice; Shizune had been after him for a long time. He could only guess it was because of the casual way he interacted with Tsunade.

Shizune crossed her arms, her lips curving into an evil smile, "There's no way a _monster_ like you could ever be Hokage."

"Oi!" Naruto shook his fist angrily, "I'm not here for any of your bullshit! Where's Tsunade-no-Baa-chan?" He clenched his teeth in an effort to keep himself from punching her right in the face.

Shizune laughed, "The Hokage doesn't answer to the whims of a _Chuunin_," her brows creased, "Especially rude Chuunin brats with no talent!"

"In case you forgot," Naruto spat back at her, "The Hokage herself invited me here. We have an appointment!"

He ran a hand through his damp hair, trying to avoid getting into a serious fight with Shizune, which would only get him in more trouble than he wanted to deal with. God, he hated the pretentious, self-righteous, Hokage-ass-kissing _bitch_! The only thing worse was her stupid pig! And why the hell was she here at Tsunade's desk at nearly the crack of dawn?

At the sound of the large office door opening, Naruto and Shizune both turned to see Tsunade walking briskly towards them.

"Ah, I see you're both here. Good."

The two exchanged scowls as Tsunade nodded a greeting to them. She walked around her desk to pull open the curtains and let the early morning sunlight break up the shadows—as well as the tension of the room. She sat down at her desk, and took a deep breath that turned into a yawn. Naruto thought she looked pretty good considering the time of day.

"God, it's early!" She rubbed her eyes, "I had no idea you'd take me so literally, Naruto." She was teasing him, although her eyes were cool and calculating. She was all too aware of the animosity between her student and Jiraiya's.

"I'm sorry for any trouble. I was only trying to follow your directions, Hokage-sama," Naruto answered her deferentially, mocking Shizune as he did so. Shizune's mouth twisted, and Naruto felt a spark of satisfaction at provoking her into further ugliness.

"Hn," Tsunade said, glancing at Shizune before rifling through the papers on her desk half-heartedly. "Shizune, will you please organize these according to the schedule for tonight? I have some business with Naruto to take care of."

Shizune bowed her head obediently, "Of course, Hokage-sama." Naruto rolled his eyes.

Tsunade got up from the desk, and moved towards Naruto. "Saa, let's go see what I've got in my closet," she held her hand out for him to precede her, and he turned to walk with her out of the office, but Shizune's gasp made them both stop and turn back.

"_Tsunade-sama_!" Shizune's face was shocked as she stepped forward. "You're going… to the closet?"

Tsunade's brow furrowed, "Yes. I'm going to the closet. Is there a problem, Shizune?"

Naruto looked from one to the other, not understanding what was going on. Shizune _never_ questioned the Hokage, at least not that Naruto ever saw. Shizune shook her head in reply, but was wringing her hands.

"But… Tsunade-sama… the closet…"

Tsunade put a hand on her hip impatiently.

Shizune squinted her eyes, and her fingers curled into two little fists, "You can't really mean that you're going to give _him_—" she pointed at Naruto "—something from the _Hokage closet_?"

"And what if I am?"

Shizune gaped. "But, Tsunade-sama…!" she gestured frantically, "The Hokage closet… you _can't_…"

"Shizune!" Tsunade's voice said they'd reached the end of the discussion. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Please have those papers ready when I return." With that she turned and walked purposefully towards the double doors of her office.

Naruto turned and stuck out his tongue, and then jogged to catch up with the Hokage. He followed her out the doors and waved to Kotetsu and Izumo as he and Tsunade turned left and made their way into the depths of the Hokage tower.

"Shizune is right, you know," Tsunade glanced over at Naruto when they were out of earshot.

Naruto met her eyes with a scowl, contradicting her, "Shizune doesn't know _anything_!"

Tsunade held up a warning hand, continuing. "She's right that the Elders probably won't appreciate me lending you a Yukata for tonight."

Naruto's expression shifted to confusion. What was the big deal? Were Yukata that special? He didn't comment, though he wondered why she was doing this for him if it could get her in trouble with the Elders–they were old, but they meant business.

Tsunade chuckled, "However, both Shizune and the Elders have been on my case a little too much lately; they forget that I'm supposed to take care of _all_ the people in Konoha." She was silent a minute, looking at him thoughtfully. "So! I'm not opposed to having a little fun. Okay?" She smiled at him, and he felt a grin spread across his own face.

"Yep!" he answered, lacing his fingers behind his head and feeling even more excited at the prospect of doing something outside the rules—_this_ was the main reason he truly liked the Hokage. She wasn't afraid to do things her own way.

Tsunade laughed and led him down a long hallway, turning into another hallway and stopping in front of a very plain looking set of doors. She made a quick succession of hand seals and then pressed her hand against the seam of the doors, and Naruto could feel the slight _pop_ of chakra being dispersed.

"It's been a while," Tsunade said, glancing at him, and then sliding the doors open. "I hope I can find it…"

She stepped into the large room, flicking a few light switches before moving further inside. Naruto followed, looking all around in amazement.

The Hokage closet was by far the hugest closet he'd ever seen–much bigger than his whole apartment. The center of the room was divided by a sturdy wooden bench, with the walls on either side filled from edge to edge with hanging robes and clothing of all sizes and colors. At the far end of the room sat a raised, round podium easily six feet in diameter. It was surrounded two thirds of the way around by tall mirrors, lit from below and above with small spotlights.

"Wow…" Naruto murmured, moving along the aisle without daring to touch any of the hanging garments. Tsunade looked over at him from the far right hand side, and she smirked while she quickly searched through some of the more colorful items.

"Can you imagine? This is the kind of closet every girl dreams about, and when I inherit it, it's full of _men's_ clothes!"

Naruto walked around the podium carefully, taking everything in and finding two closed doors at the back wall.

"Hey Tsunade?" he asked, fingering the groove along the left hand door, "What are these doors back here?"

He heard her muffled voice, "Go ahead and see for yourself."

He carefully slid the first door open and his eyes bulged out of his head. Inside the small room were floor to ceiling shelves completely filled with shoes of every kind, size and shape that he could imagine—more shoes than the biggest shoe store he'd been to with Jiraiya. It made him dizzy.

"What the heck is all this?" he called out loudly, "Why would a Hokage need so many shoes?" He scrunched up his face in confusion though no one could see.

"The Hokage needs to be stylish as well as powerful, Naruto," she answered, her voice still rather muffled.

"Is the other one full of shoes _too_?" Naruto closed the first door and moved to the second, guessing from its position that this room would be even bigger.

He heard Tsunade laugh, "You tell me!"

Naruto slid open the door to find a room twice as big as the shoe-room—his jaw came unhinged and hit the floor.

He managed to take one step into it before his senses went on overload and he froze in his tracks. This had to be the greatest thing he'd ever, _ever_ seen. After gaping for several minutes, his lips curled in a boyish grin, and then he couldn't help himself—he moved excitedly all over the room to get a better view.

The room was packed with gleaming weapons and shining armor, either displayed on stands or hanging on every exposed wall surface. There were gold plated shuriken and a jewel-handled Kama amid countless other weapons he couldn't even imagine how to use. All manner of ceremonial battle robes—ranging from antique styles and materials to newer, more modern designs—hung regally on special stands that made it feel like he was standing shoulder to shoulder with all the past Hokage.

Naruto felt a thrill in the core of his body at this rare opportunity to mingle with the relics of his heroes, and he touched the crystal necklace hanging at his throat with admiration.

He stopped at one end of the room, finding a set of unusual matching kunai hanging on the wall behind a calf-length white leather coat, with red flames licking their way up the hem. He ran the palm of his hand down the lapel, skin tingling at the contact, and he carefully lifted a triple-pronged kunai from the wall. He turned it over in his hand, seeing the mark of Yondaime.

It might have been his imagination, but it felt like the Kyuubi seal flared hot on his belly, perhaps recognizing its maker. Naruto closed his fist around the handle and shut his eyes in reverence. _Dear god_. He wished he could have met the man himself. He set the kunai back on its hooks and slowly crossed the room, memorizing the lingering sense of power that he felt in the air before he closed the door and went in search of Tsunade.

She was buried in one of the racks on the opposite side of where he'd left her, so he sat down on the wooden bench and pondered this new perspective of being Hokage. He certainly hadn't expected to ever be in a giant closet filled with clothes and shoes and armor.

"Aha!" Tsunade cried, taking something off of the rack and holding it triumphantly in her hands. Naruto stood up to take the garment she held out to him.

"I know this year's Yukata trend is a sleeveless style," she told him, "But I think that's what will make this work so well for you. It'll be different, and you have the right coloring to carry it off."

Naruto held up the Yukata, blinking at the extremely high quality and admiring the sheen of the solid, deep blue fabric that nearly matched his eyes. It was very well made, if a little plain; he held it against himself and looked down his body to see what it would look like.

Tsunade held another hanger out to him, "This goes with it."

He gaped at her, taking the second garment in a trembling hand. It was the cleanest, palest gray, soft like silk but shimmering like satin—Naruto couldn't believe what he was holding. Like the leather coat he'd touched only moments ago, he was now holding its summer counterpart: a sleeveless calf-length jacket with a high collar, made to be worn overtop the blue Yukata.

The hem was ringed with bright orange and yellow embroidered flames twining with black curls, the thousands of tiny stitches swirling majestically upward past the knees. Naruto turned the hanger to admire the coat from all angles and found a bright orange-red phoenix on the back, a bold design so vivid and alive like the designer sealed it into the fabric with a red-hot iron. The spot between Naruto's shoulder blades grew hotter just from the thought.

"Tsunade-no-Baa-chan…" He turned to Tsunade, his eyebrows raised in immediate protest.

"Don't look at me like that," she waved, taking the gray jacket from his hands and admiring it. "I bought this for him myself," she laughed, "So I claim the right to lend it out. And he didn't actually get to wear it many times…"

She held the jacket against Naruto, eyeing the effects, "He had your same yellow hair, so I thought of this Yukata immediately." Her face took on the same sense of nostalgia he'd witnessed yesterday.

"But…" Naruto protested, "I can't! _Yondaime_—" His voice faltered.

Tsunade's lips quirked in a cynical smirk, "Don't worry; it's our little secret. His clothes certainly shouldn't go to waste here in this closet."

She laid the coat along the length of the wooden bench and moved to get something tucked away on a shelf. She pulled out what looked like an oversized shoebox and lifted the lid, checking the contents before returning to Naruto and handing it to him.

"Here. These go with it," she smiled.

Naruto accepted the box, but didn't look inside. "Are you _sure_ about this? What if Shizune says something?"

He had mixed feelings about taking something out of the Hokage closet, much less wearing it in public.

"Are you ever going to obey me without question?" Tsunade sighed, then ruffled his blond hair. "You leave Shizune to me. Furthermore, as Hokage I command you to wear this and _enjoy_ it."

She leaned forward and dropped her voice to a fake whisper. "With any luck nobody will know it's the real thing, so don't give it a second thought—it's _my_ business who wears the things from my closet."

She tapped her finger on the leaf of his hitai-ate. Naruto thought about this, eyeing the garments and fingering the edge of the box. He wasn't convinced.

"Think of it this way!" Tsunade spoke up again, "Maybe it'll help you find a cute girl at the festival! You could get _luuuuucky_…"

Naruto tried and failed to ignore her laughter as a bright flush spread up his face from his neck to his hairline. Her suggestion was exactly what he wanted, but not with any _girl_—though she could hardly have known that. But he did perk up from her words, realizing that he'd be wearing something totally different from anyone else, and so maybe she was right that it would help him get noticed, at least by a certain black haired tensai…

He held the box to his chest and grinned, "Thank you, Tsunade-no-Baa-Chan!"

Tsunade laughed and helped pack the Yukata and Overcoat into a nondescript traveling bag, escorting him out of the closet and walking with him back to the double doors of her office.

"Now don't forget what I told you before," she cautioned him, holding a finger to her lips and blocking the curious gazes of Kotetsu and Izumo behind her.

Naruto grinned, saluting briefly before dashing off down the winding steps, grateful for the common looking satchel and box in his arms. No one would guess in a million years that he was carrying one of Yondaime's dress Yukata, and the idea made his stomach flip in excitement.

Just wait till he showed Iruka-sensei!

* * *

--

* * *

Iruka woke up to the smell of something delicious tempting him out of bed and into the kitchen.

He opened his eyes, yawning and stretching, and turned his head to check his alarm clock; just one hour before he had to go to the Academy. Iruka yawned again and swung his legs over the side of his bed, slipping on his blue silk robe and making his way towards the kitchen. He sniffed the air, trying to guess what Kakashi was making for breakfast; it smelled heavenly! He stretched his arms over his head, ignoring the chorus of tiny pops in his spine, and turned the corner to see what was waiting for him.

"What's for break—" Iruka stopped in the doorway, seeing that his kitchen was empty.

Kakashi wasn't there, but the plate full of delicate, buttery crêpes, the small jar of clover honey, the steaming mug of tea, and the tiny scroll with familiar handwriting all said that Kakashi had been there, and until recently, too.

Iruka moved to his usual seat at the table, remembering that the Jounin had returned to his own apartment last night after their argument. He sighed, grateful for the long night of undisturbed sleep, and wishing at the same time that Kakashi had stuck around. Iruka didn't feel nearly so angry this morning, and missed his company after so many recent nights and mornings together. He reached for the scroll and slid it open to read his lover's message, smiling despite himself.

Kakashi had drawn a series of cartoons; each frame had chibi versions of the two of them, with Kakashi offering him presents in each one, including himself—naked and wrapped suggestively in a big bow. At the end of the scroll he had written:

_Ru-Ru— _

_There's a present for you in the living room; can't wait to see you in it tonight. XOXO _

_– 'Kashi._

Iruka rolled a crêpe and ate it on his way into the living room, finding a white shopping bag on the seat of his sofa that looked awfully similar to the ones Kakashi and Sasuke had had last night at Ichiraku's. He flopped himself down beside it, licking the butter from his fingers, and dug through the tissue paper at the top of the bag. His hands found something silky and he pulled it out, standing up to accommodate the length of the lush fabric.

He gasped when he realized what it was, a brand new—and from the looks and feel of it, very _expensive_—Yukata.

"Kakashi…" Iruka whispered, letting the delicate fabric hang from his fingers as he turned it around to admire it from all angles.

It was the latest men's style, sleeveless and sedately multicolored, pure white from the neck down to a deep, burgundy-red at the hem, as if dipped into a barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon until the fibers had sucked the color up to knee level.

Within the reds were thin black lines that defined areas of scales and claws and the bat-like wings of a dragon, coiling and uncoiling together in optical illusion. On the back of the Yukata was a full, roaring dragon, a bright red circular symbol centered in the snow white of the upper fabric. The enclosed _Kaku-Obi_ was white.

Iruka draped the gift over the back and seat of the sofa, stepping away to see it fully. He bit his bottom lip in thought, realizing that if this was a present from Kakashi, and purchased during his outing with Sasuke, he could expect the two tensai to show up in Yukata equally as stunning as this one. He flushed, wondering if Sasuke thought it was strange for Kakashi to have bought an extra Yukata.

Would he notice? Would he have asked? Iruka nipped his lip sharply—what would Sasuke think when he saw Iruka wearing it? Surely he'd put two and two together…

Iruka retreated quickly to the kitchen, giving himself some space from the extravagant present on the sofa. There was nothing he could do now other than to trust Kakashi to keep their relationship a secret. He wouldn't think about how he _himself_ had slipped up, since it was irrelevant in this situation. And though it may tip off their black-haired student, Iruka knew he couldn't wear anything else—it would rip Kakashi's heart out.

He sat down and ate his crêpes, drizzling them with sweet honey and eating with his fingers.

"What are you up to… Kakashi…" he murmured.

Kakashi and Sasuke were absolutely gorgeous to begin with, and Iruka knew he wasn't unattractive either—the three of them would probably stop traffic when they were all dressed up. He frowned; Naruto had _no idea_ how good looking he'd gotten as he'd grown up… and unfortunately Iruka had _no idea_ what kind of Yukata he'd bring over.

Iruka's eyebrows creased in the center of his forehead. He still wasn't happy about Kakashi's meddling. When the two of them had started dating, they hadn't had anyone playing Cupid and throwing them together into awkward situations, and they'd turned out okay so far—hadn't they?

He groaned, desperately afraid that something would happen to keep their students from being together. Naruto had mentioned they'd be training, but Iruka didn't know yet how that had turned out—what if Sasuke had decided just to be _friends_?

Iruka didn't want to see Naruto get hurt, and if Kakashi's idea of a social activity did _anything_ to mess up the fragile relationship, Iruka would never forgive him.

…_Probably_.

He sighed, contemplating his counter moves. Naruto had been wearing a very trendy shirt the last time they'd talked, but Iruka had no idea what to expect from his fashion sense, if he even had one–he really did like to wear _orange_.

Iruka shook his head, he'd just have to make sure that Naruto was just as stunning as the rest of them.

He was pensive as he headed to his shower. Kakashi wasn't the only one who could be perverted, and there were lots of things Iruka knew he could do that could make the man spend a great deal of the evening squirming. Once teaching class was over, he'd have all afternoon to relax and plan ways of both protecting the students and teasing his favorite Special Jounin. It would be a _well-deserved_ taste of Kakashi's own medicine.

Iruka chuckled as he turned on the water and got it to the right temperature. If he had any say the matter, it was going to be a _very_ good night!

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke hadn't slept _at all_.

The light pierced his curtains in an irrefutable declaration of day-time, and he just lay there in his large bed, stubbornly refusing to get up since he hadn't yet gone to sleep. He kept his eyes shut and fumed in silence, his gut knotted in anticipation of both the coming festivities and the impending outing with Naruto and their two sensei.

It was either going to be very good … or it was going to be very _bad_.

Sasuke rolled over on his stomach, curling a fist in his blankets and pulling them under his chin. _What_ was Kakashi-sensei thinking? He would have asked straight out, but he didn't want Kakashi to know that he was bothered by the four of them going out together.

Iruka-sensei had been equally as surprised at the invitation; Sasuke hadn't ever once seen them interact in public, aside from brief encounters a lot like the one last night at Ichiraku's. So the suggestion to meet must have been far outside their normal…actually, he wasn't sure what to call it. Relationship parameters?

In any case, Iruka-sensei clearly hadn't liked the idea, which made Sasuke very anxious—there must be something he didn't know about _First Night_ that the older men knew. But what could it be?

And even more troubling—did Iruka-sensei know what had happened with him and Naruto?

Sasuke groaned. Things with Naruto were already kind-of awkward. It was only _more_ awkward to know that he wasn't supposed to know about Kakashi and Iruka, and would have to act all night like they were just four regular guys out for the festival. How would the older men do it? How did they pretend that they didn't … Sasuke blushed, remembering Iruka's passionate expression from the memory he should never have seen. Or _felt_.

He shuddered—whether from revulsion that it was his teachers, or from the desire to reenact it with Naruto, he couldn't have said.

Eventually he sat up, his hair a bit wild and his eyes half-lidded. He was going to have to do something to ease his tension so that he could get some sleep—he would certainly need his wits about him later on when the four of them were together.

Sasuke dragged himself out of bed, comforted at least that he'd been able to come up with the right combination of items to accent the gorgeous Yukata that Kakashi had gifted him last night. He had everything laid out neatly on his red sofa, ready for whenever he chose to get dressed for the evening, and his stomach flipped in nervousness. He rested a hand on it as he slouched to his stairs and plodded down to his front door to put on some sandals.

He walked down to the long dock stretching out over the lake and made hand seals, drawing in a deep breath and expelling a huge fireball that glittered and evaporated part of the surface of the blue lake. _Goukakyuu-no-jutsu_ had a surprising calming effect, he thought, forming the seals and creating a second fireball. He grimaced, calculating that forty or fifty more times should tire him out enough to finally get some sleep, or at least tire him out enough to quell the anxiety he'd been battling all night.

Who would have thought he'd get so nervous about a festival?

One thing's for sure: at this point he didn't care what he had to do, but he was _not_ coming home without at least one delicious kiss from one delicious blond.

* * *

--

* * *

Iruka was toweling his hair dry when he heard furious knocking on his front door. He smiled, knowing before he even answered it who he'd find on the other side. He draped his towel over his shoulder and turned the knob; sure enough, Naruto bounded in carrying a satchel and a box over to the low table in front of the sofa.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted in eagerness as he set his things down, "I went to see Tsunade-no-Baa-chan, and she took me into this _huuuge_ closet, and she let me borrow something and just _wait_ until you see it!"

He was a comical sight, moving his hands in big gestures, his face animated and flushed with excitement. Iruka bit his lip—should he tell Naruto that they'd be having company? He seemed so happy… Iruka watched him, closing the door and coming over to his sofa to see what Naruto had brought, glad that he'd already moved his own Yukata into his bedroom and out of the way.

"Well you sure are excited," he commented, sitting beside his student as he opened the satchel and pulled out something shimmering and blue. Naruto stood, holding up the deep blue Yukata against his body, and Iruka fingered the fabric thoughtfully.

"Hmmm," he said, admiring the color and texture, but frowning at the plainness of the design. It was going to look very simple compared to Iruka's, especially since it had elbow-length sleeves which had gone out of fashion over the last years. His brain whirred as he debated how he could dress it up for Naruto.

"See? It matches my eyes!" Naruto exclaimed, smoothing it down his front, then handing it off to Iruka and digging around in the satchel. "And that's not all—wait until you see this!"

With a flourish, Naruto pulled out the nearly-sleeveless coat and held it up. He slipped his arms through the armholes and pulled it on over his ninja shorts and shirt, which would have been incongruous if Iruka could focus on anything but the coat itself.

"_Oh my god_…" Iruka whispered, standing and moving over to where Naruto was turning, both showing off the coat and trying to see the back of it without a mirror. Iruka reached out and placed a hand on his student's shoulder, stopping him so he could try and take in exactly what he was wearing.

"Heh, heh!" Naruto laughed, "Can you believe it? Wait until Sasuke sees me in this! He's going to freak out!"

Iruka barely heard him. He ran his fingers over the lapel of the coat, feeling the softness of the gray fabric and marveling at the luxury and the craftsmanship. He touched the flaming feathers of the phoenix, in awe of the delicate, detailed embroidery and recognizing immediately who this coat must have belonged to years ago. Naruto was still grinning at him, letting him see for himself that it was exactly what he thought it was.

"Oh my god…" Iruka said again, staring in disbelief.

"It's really _his_," Naruto nodded his head, still grinning excitedly. "But hey, listen," he took off the coat and held it in his hands, moving to the satchel and pulling out the blue Kaku-Obi that matched the Yukata. "Do you know what this is for?"

Iruka sat back down on the sofa, momentarily mute. _A fancy Yukata belonging to the Yondaime Hokage was in his apartment._

Kakashi was going to have a heart attack.

"Sensei?" Naruto questioned, "Oi, Sensei?" He stared at Iruka with eyebrows raised.

Iruka shook his head, "Ah, whoops!" he said, running his fingers through his long, damp hair. "I just can't believe it…" he indicated the garments, much to Naruto's delight.

"I know! I know!" his student agreed, "Tsunade is letting me wear this just for tonight, but we can't tell _anyone_!" His voice went serious. "Tsunade can get in a lot of trouble with the Elders if anyone finds out it's the real thing."

Iruka nodded his agreement, "I'll bet." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So what's in the box?" he asked, pointing past Naruto to the white box on the table.

"Oh that? Actually I haven't looked yet," Naruto smiled sheepishly, setting the coat across the back of the couch and lifting the lid of the box.

He reached inside and pulled out two long blue things with straps and something heavy at one end. He handed them to Iruka with a confused look on his face, then reached back into the box. Iruka examined the items in his hands, turning them over and finally recognizing them to be a type of glove.

"Oh, these are for your arms," he said to Naruto, who was holding up a pair of ninja boots.

"_Wow_, those are really cool," Iruka commented, laying the gloves aside and reaching out for one of the boots.

He turned it over in his hand, stroking the polished surface and running a hand along the rows of decorative buckles. They were adjustable, and would easily reach up to Naruto's knees. He smiled in anticipation. _Now_ they had some things to work with!

"Hell yeah," Naruto said, having slipped on one of the gloves.

The fingers were cut off in the same style as Kakashi's gloves, but they stretched much farther up Naruto's forearms. The backs of the hands had metal plates with the leaf symbol, and there were at least six straps that buckled along the outside from wrist to elbow. Naruto was trying to fasten them one-handed when Iruka interrupted.

"Naruto." Iruka stood up. "We should probably start to get ready."

_'Since we don't have too much time left before company arrives,'_ Iruka added, helping to peel the glove off Naruto's forearm. He decided it would probably be easier for Naruto to be surprised by their guests, instead of spending the next forty-five minutes panicking.

"You and I are going to look spectacular tonight," he told Naruto honestly, looking into his student's eyes and showing him his conviction. "Sasuke won't be able to take his eyes off of you!"

Naruto grinned in his usual, excited way. "You really think so?" he asked, his cheeks reddening.

Iruka nodded, holding out his pinky finger. Naruto reached his pinky out and they shook on it.

"Why don't you go take a quick shower while I get dressed, and then we'll focus on _you_. Okay?"

"Okay!" Naruto agreed, dashing off to Iruka's bathroom.

"There's towels already in there," Iruka called across the apartment, reaching to organize Naruto's things before heading to his bedroom.

His smile spread across his entire face, knowing that the two ninja who'd be joining them were in for a _big_ surprise!

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, evaluating his looks in his large oval mirror.

He turned his face from side to side, watching the way his black hair fell against his head. It felt strange to be without his hitai-ate, but he could argue that he looked just as sexy without it. He pulled more of his bangs forward and brushed up the locks in the back, then took a step away and considered his whole outfit. He had to admit that Kakashi had good taste; he might not pick the most intellectual reading material, but when it came to clothes, his choices were surprisingly impeccable.

The Yukata Kakashi had gifted him was the latest sleeveless style, as well as a departure from his traditional black. In fact, it was _white_—a pure, snowy white that transitioned at the bottom third into a kaleidoscope of blacks and golds and grays, with tiny flecks of burgundy and red throughout.

The pattern at the hem was created from the repeated overlapping of open fans, curved and straight lines dividing the colors and shapes in an optical illusion that made it impossible to determine exactly how many fans were there. On the back, resting between Sasuke's shoulder blades was a solid black fan with a red circle in the center, the tip of it clipped by the outer curve of the fan's edge.

Underneath the Yukata, Sasuke had chosen to wear a long sleeved black mesh shirt, adding more geometric texturing to the lines of his muscled arms and keeping the stark whiteness of the Yukata from washing out his naturally pale skin. At his neck he wore a necklace that he'd had in his cabinet for years, but had never actually worn. It had three round, metal, ring-like beads spaced on a thin metal cable in wide gaps; the central bead nestled comfortably in the hollow of his throat.

Sasuke held the last part of the ensemble in his hand, unfolding it with a quick flick of the wrist to test the smoothness of the hinge and the weight. The fan was black, with the red and white Uchiha crest in the center, as deadly as it was decorative due to the hidden needles and the sturdy, steel handle. Sasuke closed it, tucking it into the white _Kaku-Obi_ of the Yukata, and smoothing the fabric with his palms to make sure everything was aligned perfectly.

He took a deep breath. It was time to go.

Sasuke walked to his armoire and removed a long black cloak that had once belonged to Itachi; in the time since his brother had left Konoha, Sasuke had finally grown tall enough for it to fit properly. He was glad of the excuse to wear it—Itachi had always liked beautiful things.

Sasuke hoped it would help him blend in on the way to Kakashi's apartment; the _last_ thing he wanted was to run into any mobs of fangirls. He was reasonably sure his festival garb would attract them in droves, especially while he was on his own.

He slipped the cloak over his shoulders and sighed. Attracting fangirls was nothing, it took no effort whatsoever. But being attractive enough to get what he wanted from _Naruto_ was another story. His stomach clenched anxiously, and he tried not to think about how in the world he'd manage to get the two of them alone…

Sasuke carried his favorite black training boots down to the front entryway and stooped to fasten the criss-crossing black straps over his neatly wrapped calves. He held up the hem of the Yukata to check that everything looked all right, and felt inside the hidden pockets of his cloak. Finally satisfied that he had everything he needed to get through the evening relatively intact, Sasuke marched out the door and closed it firmly behind him.

The sky was just beginning to darken, causing the first streaks of color to spread along the horizon. In a few hours it would be night, but up until then it appeared that they'd all be enjoying a slow, gorgeous summer sunset.

He darted through the outskirts of town almost invisibly, passing the few inhabitants who hadn't yet made their way into the center of Konoha for _First Night_ without any second looks. However, he was soon forced to slow down since the streets became busier and busier the closer he got to the festival. He kept to a brisk pace, having calculated in advance the quickest way to get to Kakashi's apartment and moved through the traffic with determination, feeling slightly annoyed that Kakashi lived right in the middle of the hubbub. _Typical_.

He reached a cross street and turned right, only to find a group of Genin girls at an ice-cream stand. His step faltered as he changed direction abruptly, and he moved quickly over to the other side of the street, grimacing as he heard the first squeal of "_Sasuke-kuuuun_!"

Oh _hell_.

He picked up the pace, his long legs slightly hampered by the length of the Yukata, and he heard the answering squeals of several other girls mixed with the clicking of their geta as they shuffled along the cobblestones after him. He furrowed his brow, cursing under his breath and refusing to look back to see how many there were. His hand moved to his fan, longing to fill them full of needles as punishment for pursuing him through the street.

He reached the next corner and turned quickly to the left, thinking to lose them in the bigger, busier crowds, but he crashed right into a short kunoichi.

_'What the…!'_

She must have been weak since he hadn't sensed that she was there. She squealed in fright and he grabbed her arm to keep her from falling over, though his intended apology died on his lips when she turned to face him and he recognized the bristly-orange pigtailed girl from the other day.

She still had on too much makeup; hadn't anyone told her to ease up on the blush?! She threw her arms around his neck and squealed his full name at the top of her lungs. Sasuke cursed as he tried to pull her off without breaking her arms.

Like the call to Mecca, the sound of his name had every girl within a couple of blocks facing him with their undivided attention. There was a moment of terrifying silence, and then a wild cacophony of female shrieks drowned out the normal sounds of the street, accompanied by the rumbling of what sounded like hundreds of pairs of wooden sandals—all heading straight for him.

Sasuke clenched his teeth with irritation, reaching into his cloak and withdrawing a smoke bomb. He threw it hard at the ground, and as soon as the purplish cloud had covered him he used Kawarimi-no-jutsu to escape from the orange haired girl, leaving her clutching absurdly onto a log.

He leapt up to the balcony of the closest building, jumping higher and higher until he'd reached the ridgepole of the roof. He knelt for a second, glancing down into the chaos of smoke and coughing kunoichi, and then continued across Konoha by rooftop.

It was much harder wearing a Yukata, but Sasuke made it to Kakashi's building unscathed, and jumped down to the outside hallway that led to his front door. He dusted off his black cloak and ran his fingers through his hair, then knocked smartly on the door.

Kakashi had better be ready!

* * *

--

* * *

Kakashi slipped the silver hitai-ate down over his Sharingan. He regarded himself in the mirror on the back of his bedroom door, his cool blue eye a bright spot of color in his unusually monochromatic ensemble.

He'd resurrected some of his ANBU gear for the night; the silver sleeveless shirt with the built-in mask, and the bone-like arm guards offset the stark white of his new Yukata and brought out the contrasting swarm of colors at the base. He hummed as he turned in a circle to watch the blacks, oranges, yellows and whites slither against each other as if underwater.

The craftsman had done an excellent job, putting just enough detail in the fins and tails to make it look exactly like a pond teeming with innumerable Koi. He craned his neck, but couldn't quite make out the leaping orange Koi in the center of his back, though he'd had plenty of time before now to admire it.

He straightened the long silver gloves that kept the arm guards from chafing his skin, flexing his right arm experimentally. He smiled, pleased that the combination showed off the curves of his strong, bare biceps and shoulders while leaving the rest of him a mystery beneath shimmering fabrics.

Iruka was going to have a heart attack!

Kakashi rubbed his palms together; it felt a little strange to have his hands completely covered by the skin-tight gloves since he was used to the shorter cut-off style, but he was willing to put up with it for one night.

He turned around, making sure everything else in the room was in place, smoothing a hand over the fresh satin sheets he'd put on his King sized bed. If he had anything to do with it, he'd need to do laundry tomorrow, and his pulse quickened at the idea of all the things he and Iruka could do to ensure he'd be at the Laundromat all afternoon. They had a night to make up for, after all.

He chuckled, satisfied that everything was set up the way he wanted it. Then he went out into his kitchen to make a cup of tea, setting the kettle on to boil and selecting the right tin of dried leaves.

He sure hoped that Iruka had woken up in a better mood; he didn't like when they had conflicts, even though he knew a large part of Iruka's anger came from the extra stressful schedule and lack of proper sleep. Even so, it wasn't a good feeling to be accused of playing games with their students. He really wanted the boys to finally cross that barrier between rivals and lovers, since he knew only too well how sad and frustrating it was to huddle in fear on one side of the line.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, pushing the memories aside. Those weren't the kinds of things he talked about with Iruka. It was better not to dwell on the past.

His ears perked up when he felt Sasuke's presence approaching the building and then halting in front of his door. Kakashi was halfway there by the time he heard the impatient knock, and he grinned underneath his mask, picturing a nervous and eager Uchiha on the other side. He thought wickedly for a moment about making him wait—but remembering Iruka's accusations he reached to the knob and flung it open, making a dramatic sweeping bow before rising to inspect his prodigy's festival outfit.

He took one look at the person in his doorway and his adrenaline levels shot sky-high.

"_You_!" he gasped and his body reacted automatically, skipping backwards as his left hand uncovered his Sharingan while the other reached into the folds of his Yukata and withdrew the hidden stash of tiny shuriken. His left hand reached for the handle of his ANBU katana, and he panicked when it wasn't where it should be, jutting out from behind his right shoulder.

What in the hell was _Itachi_ doing here?

Kakashi had moved so quickly, Itachi was still just standing in the doorway. Kakashi's blood was now crashing in waves against his eardrums—hadn't he been clear enough the last time he'd turned down Itachi's advances? He would try and avoid a physical altercation, but Itachi had to learn that no meant _NO_.

Kakashi pulled three needles from the back of his obi; with _this_ one, it was always better to be armed with both hands. There was something urgent niggling in the back of his brain, but Kakashi couldn't hear it over the pounding of his heartbeat. He opened his lips to demand why Itachi had come to his apartment, even though he'd only ever had one thing on his mind, when Itachi stepped forward and spoke first–striking a pose of bored annoyance that was totally inconsistent with his normal gestures.

"What the hell are you doing, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi straightened. That voice wasn't Itachi's. He froze, looking over the intruder, his eyes finally seeing that it wasn't the older Uchiha at all, but his brother, Kakashi's own student. _Oh God_…

_Sasuke_!

Kakashi tucked the weapons back into their hiding places. His heart was still beating too fast, but he covered it up with a soft chuckling and the casual placement of his palm against the back of his neck. The glove was damp.

He forced his voice to be steady, "Aaah, Sasuke… I didn't realize it was you."

It wasn't a lie; Kakashi had really thought for a dreadful minute that Sasuke's brother had come to him again. He tried to calm down, knowing that it was absolutely impossible for Itachi to come to Konoha, for reasons that only he and Sasuke knew–although he was dead certain that Sasuke believed himself to be the only one who knew the whole truth about his brother.

_Good heavens_. This was not exactly what Kakashi had expected when he'd decided to dress Sasuke up for Naruto.

"Weirdo," Sasuke grumbled irreverently, moving into the apartment and closing the door behind him.

He undid his cloak and hung it on a hook next to Kakashi's flak jacket while the Jounin simply watched him, reassuring himself that Itachi was not here trying to persuade him to… _NO_! Kakashi really didn't want to have that kind of association with his student, and until now, he'd somehow overlooked how much Sasuke had grown up—he was the spitting image of the darker teenager he'd known in ANBU.

Well, he couldn't exactly blame himself; the last time he'd seen Itachi, Sasuke had been a little kid. And then… _well_. They would never stand side by side as adults, would they.

"Sensei? …Oi, Sensei?" Sasuke was standing with hands on his hips, staring at him impatiently.

Kakashi shook himself, chuckling embarrassedly and putting on a fake smile. "Uh, yeahi?"

Sasuke tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen, and Kakashi turned dumbly to look, finally becoming aware of the high-pitched whistling of his tea kettle.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, rushing into the kitchen and turning off the stove, then leaning against the counter out of sight to pull himself together. He yanked his headband back down over his Sharingan for some relief.

"Would you like some tea?" he called over his shoulder.

"No thanks."

Kakashi took a deep breath. He didn't want any tea now either. He opened his refrigerator and took out his bottle of Sake, sloshing some into his tea mug since it was the closest thing. He drank it in one swig, and closed his eyes against the cool burn along his throat. He sighed heavily.

At least the big surprise of the evening was over; there couldn't be anything else that would startle him after this.

He breathed in deep through his nose and readjusted his hitai-ate, then smoothed his gloved hands down the front of his Yukata. Feeling considerably more calm, he went back out to face his student in the living room.

Sasuke was looking over his bookcases, his back turned to him. Kakashi had to approve of the mesh shirt and necklace, they really did top off the stunning Yukata, despite the resemblance to his Aniki. Without the cloak, Kakashi could more readily tell the differences between them; Sasuke's build was more… hmmm…_muscular_? Hmmm… well, Kakashi remembered Itachi being a little more angular maybe…

He shook himself—there was no need to continue thinking about it. Sasuke would never guess how much he looked like his brother, and Kakashi would _NOT_ be the one to enlighten him.

"Ah, Sasuke…" Kakashi began, walking into the room, "You made it right on time. Did you have any trouble?"

Sasuke glared over his shoulder, "The usual."

Kakashi chuckled, "Well I hope you're ready to face more of your fandom, because Iruka's apartment isn't that close."

Sasuke's expression darkened. "Did you tell Iruka-sensei about what happened with Naruto?"

Kakashi blinked at the abrupt question.

"Nope. We haven't talked about it."

He watched Sasuke sigh with some relief, and Kakashi felt a little guilty at the half-truth. He really hadn't told Iruka anything; Naruto had been the one to tell. And Kakashi hadn't talked with Iruka about what happened… at least not _specifically_…

"Are you ready to go?" Sasuke asked him, his voice tinted with impatience, dread, and nervous excitement. Boy, Sasuke sure was in a mood.

"You bet," Kakashi replied, smirking to himself and turning off most of the lights. "You can leave your cloak for now, if you like," he told his student, knowing it had to be uncomfortable in the summer heat. Plus, it covered up the gorgeous Yukata which defeated the whole point.

Sasuke nodded and the two exited out onto the balcony. They had opposite expressions as they looked down on the crowded street, and Kakashi grinned, deciding to spare him from the crowds while he could.

He gave Sasuke's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "Let's go!"

With that he leapt gracefully onto the rooftop and headed for Hotarubi Street, Sasuke hot on his heels. They made excellent time, and though he could guess why Sasuke was rushing, Kakashi knew for sure his own reasons for haste.

There was an adorable Academy sensei he wanted to fondle before they had to pretend they were just colleagues for the rest of the evening.

* * *

--

* * *

"Naruto, hold still!"

"But… it tickles…"

"That's because you're wiggling too much."

"I can't help it! It feels funny!"

"Just relax, or I won't be able to do it properly!"

"Do you _have_ to?"

"Shush, I have to get you ready for Sasuke."

"Is it supposed to be so… so…?"

"Be still, and let me finish. It'll be over quicker if you quit squirming…"

"Iruka-sensei… do we _really_ have to do this…"

"Hush! I promise, you'll understand in a minute."

"When did you learn this, anyways?"

"When you date a genius, you learn all kinds of things…"

"Ewww…Kakashi does it too?"

"Quiet! Just a little bit more…"

"Can't you hurry up?"

"You're not helping, Naruto… no wait, _don't_ do that!"

"_Unff_… But it's poking me!"

"If you don't do what I say, you're really not going to like it!"

"Awwww…"

"That's it… just hold still for me…"

"Come on, Iruka-sensei…aren't you done yet …"

"A little bit more… All right, all right…" Iruka turned his student's head toward the bathroom mirror. "There. Take a look."

Naruto blinked his eyes, and Iruka smiled, admiring his handiwork. It had definitely been a very good idea to bring out Naruto's eyes with a bit of black eyeliner. He was a very good looking young man, but now—fully dressed in Yondaime's Yukata, hair spiked on top with some gel, and his eyes accentuated with subtly graceful dark lines—

Sasuke was going to have a heart attack!

"Whoa…" Naruto practically pressed his nose into the cold surface of the mirror, "My eyes look so big… so _intense_…"

Iruka laughed, "See? I told you you were going to like it!" He took a small step back. "Nobody will even know you've got it on unless they get up close."

"Awesome…" Naruto was fascinated.

Shaking his head, Iruka went into his bedroom to the other mirror. He ran a comb through his long brown hair, leaving it hanging down around his shoulders. He hadn't done a lot with his own appearance, letting Kakashi's Yukata do the bulk of the work, although he'd added something only Kakashi himself would recognize. His grin became _naughty_—he hoped the Jounin would be jealous that he was wearing one of their favorite toys.

Both of his forearms were artfully wrapped with silken cords, from just under the elbow down to his wrist. The cords were a rich scarlet, bringing out the brighter spots of red at the hem of his Yukata. Iruka's careful knot-work left a hard ridge along the outside edge of his arms, echoing the reptilian imagery of the coiling Dragons. The long ends of the cords dangled from his wrists provocatively, two dangerous lures on either arm with which to hook a very dangerous Jounin.

Iruka checked the time. They had about ten minutes. "Naruto, I'm going to make some tea."

"Okay, I'll be out in a minute," his student replied, and Iruka smiled. He was so excited about how amazingly sexy the two of them looked, that he'd almost forgotten how angry he'd been when Kakashi had invited himself along.

The memories came back when he heard his doorbell ring.

Iruka stopped in his tracks, halfway between the hall and the door. The bell rang again, and he took a deep breath. This was it. He knew who would be there, but he'd forgotten that _Naruto_ didn't know who would be joining them and his heart started to thud in his chest.

Good God—he flicked his eyes to the clock—they were _early_! Must be _Sasuke's_ influence. Iruka decided he'd better answer the door before Naruto came running out—he wanted to minimize the shock of two unexpected visitors on the doorstep.

He made three long strides to the door and opened it, but all he could see was Kakashi—Kakashi's piercing blue eye and ghostly-shimmering, silvery outfit. His lover completely filled the doorway, an awesome presence of hard masculine flesh covered in expensive white fabric. Iruka's eyes moved down Kakashi's body slowly; he felt rather dizzy when he made it to the swarming Koi near the floor.

Iruka took a step back. It was always like this with Kakashi… such sexiness barely contained by mortal garments. He was a living, breathing statue of Zeus, king of all the gods and by far the most perverted.

When their eyes met, Iruka could tell that Kakashi was thinking similar thoughts, and he felt his heart swell with pride at the uninhibited lust he saw inside that circle of blue. Iruka knew his cheeks were getting pink, but for the moment, he didn't care.

"Kakashi…" someone muttered from the outside hallway. Iruka wondered vaguely who else was there.

"_Kakashi_!" came the voice again, more insistently. Kakashi responded by taking a step forward through the doorway. Iruka retreated a step instinctively.

Sasuke squeezed into the room from behind the Jounin with a look soaked in indignation. Iruka spared him half a glance, and then heard the voice of the fourth member of their party.

"Was that the doorbell, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto called loudly from the back of the apartment.

Iruka cursed himself for being mesmerized by his boyfriend.

"Naruto, we have some guests. Come on out."

* * *

--

* * *

Kakashi looked suggestively at Sasuke as he pressed the doorbell for the second time, stifling a laugh as the dark haired teen rolled his eyes in disdain. His stomach was fluttering in anticipation; he really couldn't wait to see Iruka.

He was reaching to ring the doorbell a third time when the door opened, and his lover was finally standing before him. He braced his arm against the doorjamb, fighting to stay on his feet at the delicious sight of Iruka–hair down and face flushing in the instant lust they always experienced. He took a shaky breath. _Oh yes_, the Dragon Yukata was indeed the perfect choice.

Kakashi let his eye travel down the lines of Iruka's tan, athletic body from head to feet, his gaze catching on the bright red of his arms. _Masaka_! He gasped, instantly recognizing the silken cords that were knotted with familiar skill; parts of his skin burned in eagerness and remembered pleasure.

'_Iruka's going to wear that in public_?' He started to sway from the flood of memories, when he heard an impatient voice behind him.

"Kakashi."

He felt a slight tug on his sash, but ignored it.

"_Kakashi_!"

The insistent voice was accompanied by a sharp nudging to his midsection. He didn't turn his head, wanting only to be farther from the annoying nudging and closer to the incredibly hot Chuunin. He took a step forward, and Iruka stepped back—the beginning of a tango. His heartbeat sped up.

He felt Sasuke slip from behind him into the room, and only part of his brain registered that his student was there. Maybe it was all the blood rushing _downward_…

"Naruto, we have some guests. Come on out." Iruka spoke, but Kakashi barely understood the words past the nuances of his voice.

"Anyone I know?" Came another voice, farther away, but Kakashi couldn't take his eyes off of his lover. He sensed someone else come in the room, but he didn't care who it was. He only wanted to slowly devour the vision before him… or be the one devoured, one bite at a time…

_Excruciating_ pain shot through his right elbow and he gasped, turning his head sharply towards the source while trying to jerk his arm away. His full attention rested on Sasuke, and for a weird second he was surprised to see him. Sasuke was gripping his elbow like a vise, though he was looking straight ahead, completely riveted.

Kakashi tilted his chin in puzzlement—_that_ wasn't an expression he'd ever seen on Sasuke's face before. _What_ was he looking at? He turned his head to match the direction of Sasuke's gaze.

For the second time, adrenaline shot through his veins like an injection of cocaine.

"_You_!" he gasped, though his body was completely frozen in place. His heart smashed into his chest in shock, and he couldn't move a muscle. His sensei… Yondaime… _Yondaime_ was here!

Kakashi managed to get his left hand up to his heart, making a fist in his Yukata as though it would help him to breathe. Yondaime… Yondaime…Yondaime…

"Sasuke? Sasuke! What the hell are you doing here?" Yondaime asked, rushing forward towards the Uchiha and then stopping, like he wasn't sure what to do next. He was smiling and his cheeks were turning pink.

Kakashi's heart was crushed—why hadn't he come to _him_?

Sasuke was still a little dazed, but he'd let go of Kakashi's arm. "Isn't this where we were supposed to meet?" Sasuke ran a hand through his dark hair nervously. Yondaime's eyebrows narrowed in confusion.

"Er, I forgot to tell you… Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun are joining us for the festival. Is that okay?" Iruka wasn't talking to him, but Kakashi moved his eye towards the familiar sound, surprised to see Iruka looking back at him, his face pinched with concern.

"Eh? … _Aaaah_!" Yondaime shouted, though his voice didn't seem right.

Kakashi looked hard at his sensei, who was pointing a finger at him, eyes wide in surprise. It was Yondaime…and yet it _wasn't_… Kakashi couldn't put his finger on it, but he started to doubt what he was seeing.

He furrowed his brow, making a hand seal and shouting loudly, "_Kai_!"

He looked from one person to another, seeing no difference after dispelling any genjutsu in the room. All three shinobi were looking at him, stunned.

"What the hell's your deal, Kakashi-sensei?!"

With those simple words, it all became clear. Kakashi felt reality rush back to him in a dizzying blur, and he took a step to steady himself. His sensei wasn't there. His sensei _couldn't_ be there.

Instead, there _he_ was; four feet away; the spitting image of Yondaime:

None other than the #1 loudmouth hyperactive ninja in Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto.

"Oh, Iruka-sensei…" Kakashi turned to his lover with a fake smile on his face. "Is this your kitchen?" he asked, turning and walking into it and away from the rest of them. He needed to be alone for a minute.

"Y…Yes…" he heard Iruka answer from the other room.

Once out of sight, he opened the cabinet and took out something he could drink from, setting it on the counter as he opened the refrigerator. He reached for the bottle of Sake he'd left there a few nights ago, sloshing a good amount into the cup. He set the bottle down and tipped the glass bottom-up, letting the cool liquid slide down his throat and into his belly in one swoop. He leaned his hands into the countertop, coughing once, and he focused on breathing, keeping his back to the doorway.

Good _Lord_. Why in the seven hells had he ever suggested they all get dressed up for a festival?

* * *

[to be continued...]


	8. Chapter 8

**

* * *

**

**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 8:

* * *

Iruka felt surprisingly calm, glancing to the left at his lover in the kitchen, coughing and clutching a bottle of Sake, and then glancing to the right at the smoldering gazes being exchanged between his students, and hearing their incoherent attempts at speech.

Of all the things he'd been imagining when the four of them were finally assembled, Iruka would never have predicted that _he_ would handle it the best.

"Sasuke… you… I mean, your Yukata is …" Naruto stuttered, gesturing with a gloved hand to try and grab the right words from the air.

Iruka watched the two carefully, trying to decide if he should go into the kitchen to check on Kakashi or not, standing where he could keep all three of them in his sight.

Sasuke nodded at the implied compliment, "It's … uh… early birthday present. From Kakashi-sensei."

Iruka glanced into the kitchen a second time, seeing Kakashi take another swig of Sake, though he was actually standing a little bit straighter.

"Er… Kakashi-san?" he said, "Can I offer you some refreshments?" Since their students were there, he probably shouldn't go in there and calm Kakashi down in the _usual_ way.

"Ahhh… then I guess I'm going to have to find you a really… really… _really_ cool birthday present!" Naruto said in the background.

Iruka watched Kakashi raise his open hand, declining the offer of assistance. Then he raised just his first finger—he wanted a minute to himself. Iruka felt a bit guilty at not warning him beforehand, but how could he know the sight of Naruto would be so _traumatic_? Iruka looked back to Sasuke, who was watching Naruto intently.

"There's … only _one_ thing… I really want," he said, his voice even, but his eyes showing something dark and sexual. Naruto seemed to hear the undertone to the simple statement, his cheeks flushing furiously under the Uchiha's heated gaze.

Oh-_kaaaay_… Now this was starting to get awkward. Maybe the two students could pretend he wasn't there, but Iruka knew he couldn't continue to just stand still and watch them hit on each other! Although it _was_ rather bold of Sasuke to do it right here in his teacher's apartment—the kid had guts. Or maybe it was the eyeliner.

Iruka cleared his throat, "Would anyone like some tea before we leave?"

Ninja law #39: _When in doubt, follow the rules of hospitality_.

Sasuke and Naruto didn't take their eyes off each other. Iruka was about to repeat himself, when Sasuke finally shook his head, and Naruto got his voice working.

"Er… no thanks…"

"Okay," Iruka paused, ignoring for the moment how they were reacting to each other.

Well, hadn't that been the idea? He probably should be grateful they were only gawking, despite the palpable attraction on the air. He had to hand it to Kakashi; Sasuke's Yukata was exactly right for him. It's no wonder Naruto was having trouble with forming complete sentences. He better hurry this along before the students attacked each other.

"Well, do either of you have a preference of where we should go first?" Iruka moved over to his hanging flak jacket and withdrew a folded piece of parchment from his pocket.

"I was teaching down at the festival site today and I got us a map of everything going on, both tonight and for the next few days."

Naruto took a step forward, suddenly alert, "Oi, does it show where the Hu-_-nmff_!"

Sasuke's hand cut off Naruto's question, firmly covering his mouth. Iruka watched curiously as Naruto glared at the interference, while Sasuke turned away from his teammate to look right at _him_, his expression cool.

"May I see the map, Iruka-sensei?" Sasuke asked, Naruto grabbing his arm and flinging his hand away.

"Of course," Iruka handed it over.

He could see some things hadn't changed, and it made him smile before he remembered to hide it. Sasuke began to pore over the map, his face thoughtful, and Iruka was reminded of how Kakashi looked when mentally wrapped up in some kind of analysis.

Kakashi stepped out of the kitchen just then, his expression and manner considerably more normal. Normal for _him_, anyway.

"I had no idea your kitchen was so lovely, Iruka-sensei," he said, his eye crinkling as he smiled.

"Er, thanks…" Iruka said warily, relieved that Kakashi seemed to be back to his usual self, even though it meant he was still unpredictable. And that had been a lot of Sake.

"Thank _you_, Iruka-sensei, for allowing us to meet at your apartment. It was very easy to find," Kakashi continued, coming up close, and standing right behind his shoulder.

"Oh, er—well," Iruka's cheeks were growing warmer under Kakashi's gaze. "I'm glad it made things easy for you and Sasuke."

Sasuke glanced up at his name, but turned back to the map almost immediately. Naruto peered over his shoulder, trying to take the map in one hand so he could see it too. Sasuke didn't relinquish it, and the two of them tugged stubbornly on either side.

"And, might I add," Kakashi drew his long, gloved fingers down the outer edge of Iruka's arm, sliding over his tanned muscles and scarlet knots and clasping his wrist with long, silver fingers. He bent the arm gently, lifting Iruka's wrist and making the silken cords sway in the air as if to tease a kitten.

"I really like your _Yukata_. Wherever did you get it?"

Iruka's blood felt thick in his veins. He turned his head to look into Kakashi's blue eye, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

He let the words stretch tight between them, letting the Jounin decide for himself if they were a threat, or a promise.

"I think we should start over here …" Sasuke's voice diminished into silence, and when he didn't continue right away, Iruka looked at him out of curiosity.

The Uchiha was staring at him, although blank-faced, and he let go of the map. Naruto snatched it up triumphantly, burying his nose in it and disregarding the rest of them. Under the dark teen's gaze, Iruka became aware of Kakashi's hold on his wrist, and he shook off his lover's grip, embarrassed.

Sasuke swallowed. "The shops along the next block lead right into the festival."

"Sounds good," Kakashi said, stepping away from Iruka. "Shall we be off?"

Iruka nodded, "I'm ready. Naruto?"

"Hey! Hey! Tsunade-no-Baa-chan is speaking at full dark!" he gestured excitedly to Sasuke, pointing to a spot on the map.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow pointedly as he glared his teammate to silence. "We're ready, Iruka-sensei. Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke replied.

Kakashi opened the door and the rest of them followed, Sasuke nudging Naruto ahead of him. Iruka shut the door firmly, and then led the way down the building's interior stairs and onto the street.

Here on the outskirts of the festival the decorations were minimal; brightly colored lanterns hung on either side of the road, a few swinging in the breeze from the network of lines crossing up above, glowing although the sun still had a ways to descend before the lanterns would be necessary. The mingled smells of sulfur and food, combined with the distant drumming of musicians was more than enough for them to know that the _Festival of the Golden Kunai_ was underway.

Iruka led them confidently through his neighborhood, following the more discernible sounds of laughter and firecrackers coming from the area Sasuke had chosen from the map. Hotarubi Street opened out onto a much larger avenue, and the growing quantity of lanterns and streamers competed with the sunset in a rainbow of glittering colors.

Up ahead was an enormous fireworks stand with a banner marked on either end with a black boar. The stand seemed to be doing a lot of business, the proprietor shouting in a friendly yet booming voice and instructing two assistants to demonstrate their products intermittently. Iruka tried to take it all in, there were crowds of people everywhere, most of them—especially the smaller kids—holding sparklers and waving them in delight.

Naruto suddenly rushed forward, Sasuke muttering something under his breath as he followed close behind. The students reached the stand first, Iruka and Kakashi following at a more leisurely pace behind them, and Iruka took advantage of the opportunity to observe them as they browsed, Naruto darting here and there excitedly while Sasuke made a more thorough canvassing of the wares.

"Welcome to Kukaku's Fireworks! The self-proclaimed, Number-One fireworks manufacturer in all of Fire Country!"

The stand's owner spread his beefy arms wide, indicating the diverse array of explosives set out behind him, almost as bizarre a sight as the things he was selling. His costume was eccentric: A sleeveless green vest worn over a white shirt, combined with black trousers bleached on the thighs with bold white swirls, and a bright green bandana covering the upper half of his head. Tufts of unruly black hair stuck out from underneath the bandana—it had exactly the opposite effect of Kakashi's mask.

His forearms and shins had special guards on them like nothing Iruka had ever seen before; they had a rough, ridged surface that had to be more than decoration. Iruka thought he made quite the spectacle, until his eye was drawn to something tied off to the side; could that really be a _wild boar_?

"If it explodes, we sell it!" The man shouted, talking to no one and everyone, his assistants ringing up sales and helping people light their sparklers.

"Hey, hey, hey," Naruto piped up, holding out a baseball-sized sphere to the man in green, "What does this one do?"

Iruka was turning to see if Kakashi was still there somewhere behind him, catching a quick glimpse of him just as he heard a little voice calling his name. He looked down to see who it was.

"Iruka-sensei! Iruka-sensei!" A very young girl was tugging on the end of the red cords at his wrist to get his attention, and he smiled to see one of his newer students beaming up at him in a vivid and very _flowery_ Yukata.

"Oh, hello! And how pretty you look, Keiko-chan!"

Her eyes squinted closed from delight, and two other girls came up to join her, giggling in similarly bright Yukata.

"Look what I've got, Iruka-sensei!" She held up a large sparkler hissing a stream of golden sparks and waved it excitedly, and the other girls added their high voices to Keiko's:

"_Hi Iruka-sensei_!"

"_Look at mine! Look at mine_!"

He laughed, greeting the two newcomers with pats on their heads and glancing quickly over at Kakashi, who was watching him with a curious expression from off to the side, arms crossed as he somehow made himself unnoticeable in the busy street.

"And after this, we're going to set off fireworks at our house! Daddy said so!" Keiko announced proudly. Iruka smiled, seeing her mother and another lady approach him.

"Are you bothering our favorite sensei, Keiko-chan?" her mother teased both of them, nodding her head to Iruka in greeting.

He smiled, nodding back politely, "Oh no, Keiko is never one to bother any of her sensei." Keiko grinned, then ran off to get another sparkler with her two friends.

More parents came up to say hello, and also to tell him how much their children were improving from his excellent teaching, and he blushed under the flurry of compliments. He was trying to find a way to extract himself from this circle of bright colored, flowery females, feeling slightly claustrophobic and wanting to check on what Naruto and Sasuke were up to, when there was a loud bang and the ladies all squealed and jumped in surprise.

All of them turned to the fireworks stand to see what had happened, and Iruka saw Naruto grinning broadly as he laughed, even with Sasuke fuming at him through the telltale plumes of smoke. The fireworks merchant was laughing as hard as the blond, which meant everything was probably okay—although you never knew with Naruto.

The ladies began to whisper to each other urgently, and Iruka cocked his ear closer to them, trying to make out what they were saying. A couple of them were pointing at the students, and he quickly looked over to see what the boys could be doing to attract such attention.

Naruto had his back to them, the bright phoenix practically screaming the Fourth's name. Iruka gulped. Could they already have recognized Yondaime's coat? That would be a _catastrophe_! He bit his lip in anxiety.

As he watched Naruto gesturing in defense, still grinning, and Sasuke pointing a finger at him with a deep scowl on his face, he caught snippets of the ladies' words:

_…Look!… that must be him… scavenger hunt… did he come back? … Uchiha… no one stood a chance… if he enters again… where has he been?… no way…_

Iruka furrowed his brow. Wait a minute… were they talking about _Sasuke_?

"Oi, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto was shouting, waving a gloved hand in the air. Sasuke had his arms crossed over his chest and was looking irritated. Iruka turned around to locate Kakashi, who was already walking casually towards the students.

"Excuse me," Iruka nodded politely to the whispering parents and slipped out of their circle. They didn't even notice.

"Are you causing trouble again?" he asked Naruto, moving up beside him. The proprietor of the stand guffawed loudly in his face.

"This one's just a little eager," he tapped Naruto's shoulder with a big hand.

"Tch," Sasuke commented darkly, gaining the merchant's full attention.

"Ahhhhh, I can tell right away that _you're_ not just any ninja," the man said to Sasuke, making him roll his eyes in disdain. The man went over to the teen, throwing an arm across Sasuke's shoulders and lowering his voice in conspiracy. "You're looking for something special, aren't you?"

"No way! You've got even better stuff than this?" Naruto butted in while Sasuke shrugged off the man's arm to stand apart looking bored and disgruntled.

"Of course!" the man said, turning to the blond fish he'd hooked, grinning with confidence as he began to reel him in. "Kukaku's is the self-proclaimed Number-One fireworks manufacturer in all of Fire Country!"

He disappeared behind his stand, and came out with three black arm-length objects with tapered ends. He grinned at the students, and Iruka could feel many other adults coming up behind them to watch. Now where had Kakashi gone off to?

With a quick flick of the wrist, the merchant scraped the end of one staff against the roughened surface of his forearm-guard, and it burst into flames. There was an appreciative "_Ooooh_" from the crowd and the merchant held the torch high in the air dramatically.

"Now watch, everyone! Prepare to be amazed!" he bellowed, lighting the other two torches and beginning to juggle them in the air.

Several people clapped, and Naruto gurgled excited noises. Sasuke didn't seem all that impressed, scowling at the merchant, but then Iruka saw him look at Naruto's face—brightly smiling and fascinated by the simple trick—and Sasuke's expression seemed to soften. Iruka bit his lip, watching, and didn't notice Kakashi slipping through the crowd to stand not too far behind him.

"These torches are the finest, and will burn for twelve hours straight!" the man shouted, his eyeballs darting up and down as he concentrated on his movements. "And here's something you won't find anywhere but at Kukaku's!" he said, throwing them higher into the air and giving himself time to light the opposite ends of the torches against his forearms, one after the other in sequence.

The dramatic effect of the juggling was doubled with six bright flames dancing in the air, and the man had to modify his wrist movements to keep from grabbing in the wrong place. Even Sasuke seemed to be watching with interest as the merchant flawlessly tossed the torches in sweeping arcs. The guy wasn't at all attractive, but there was something magnetic about the sight of him twirling the torches in the dusk of the evening, creating the image that he held a giant, fiery sphere.

"Isn't it amazing!" he shouted, and the crowd erupted in applause. "And here's the best part!" he added, which signaled one of his assistants to approach with a bucket of water.

In three hissing splashes, the torches were quenched as the man tossed them into the bucket. He retrieved one of them, and with a flourish, re-lit it instantly against his forearm and held it high in the air, water droplets coursing down his arm. The crowd erupted in applause and cheers, and Naruto made a grab for the torch.

"Can I try?" he asked, and the merchant dutifully lit the others and handed them over.

Iruka could tell Sasuke was itching to snatch them away before Naruto hurt himself, impressed when the teen held himself back. Naruto was rather comical in his first attempts, having to hop around to catch the torches while trying to figure out the pattern to throw them. One torch flipped wildly and the crowd backed away, but Sasuke grabbed it in his strong hand and tossed it back to his teammate.

Naruto actually caught it, getting only a tad thrown off by the odd rhythm, but he was one of the quickest hands-on learners Iruka had ever taught; Naruto was just getting warmed up. Currently he was grinning, having fun trying out something new and not at all perturbed by the crowds. In fact, the audience probably _helped_ him.

Iruka could see some younger girls giggling behind their hands as they watched, their eyes sparkling. Naruto did look very attractive—he'd grown several inches in the last year alone, so they were almost the same height. Sasuke was still taller, by an inch or two, but none of them could beat Kakashi's six feet. Iruka sighed; he really shouldn't think of them as "boys" anymore.

Naruto's gloved hands were catching the torches very smoothly now, and Yondaime's coat billowed around him from the efforts as if it too was on fire. Iruka glanced at Sasuke, who was following every movement with his dark eyes, drawn to Naruto like a moth.

It made Iruka blush to see it written so clearly on Sasuke's face how much he liked what he saw.

Then a whisper against his ear made him break out in goose bumps. "Hmmm," Kakashi said, "I think I've seen _that_ look before… from a certain _Academy sensei_…"

Iruka flushed, shushing his lover as loudly as he dared while fighting not to react, fearful that someone in the press of the crowd could have heard. Kakashi's laughter tickled his skin.

"Looks like those two are _quite_ enjoying themselves…"

Iruka didn't dare turn his head. "The evening is still young, _Kakashi-san_," he reminded.

Kakashi chuckled, then Iruka felt him move away through the crowd to join Sasuke at the sidelines. The two of them turned to the racks of explosives and started discussing tactics. Or at least that's what Iruka assumed; Kakashi sometimes had more surprises than Naruto.

Naruto eventually dropped one of the torches on a miscalculated catch, and then tossed the other two torches back to the merchant so he could retrieve the fallen one from the ground. There was loud clapping from the crowd, and Iruka saw the merchant take Naruto aside and begin whispering to him. The blond looked happy and excited by whatever he said, and Iruka moved over to see what was going on, in case he needed to intervene.

"Now, when you buy a set of these, then I'll throw in one of these for free, but when you get two sets from over here, you'll get this deluxe, super-sized…" the green merchant gestured to rows of explosives while Naruto held onto the third torch with boyish glee.

Iruka did his best to counter the blatant sales pitch, but had to shake his head when the four of them moved away from the stand, Naruto balancing a sack full of explosives against his chest with both hands.

Kakashi was almost as bad; he had bought what looked like _three hundred _ packages of sparklers. Iruka wasn't going to ask.

They moved through the festival, stopping briefly so that Kakashi could treat them to a special candy that burst in the mouth with a volcano of thick sweetness, coating the tongue in a searing lava of intense spiciness. But since the sky was darkening, they kept a steady progress through the vendors and exhibits and made their way towards the main Konoha stadium where the Hokage would officially start the festival.

Outside the huge structure were rows of game vendors. Iruka was impressed that the Hokage was clever to stage them where they had some open space, since ninja naturally gravitated towards the use of projectiles, and the vendors had come from all over Fire Country to earn some money—the combination would be disastrous in the residential streets of downtown Konoha.

It was one of the brightest areas of the whole grounds, with torches, lanterns, and smaller fireworks shooting across the sky in a conspiracy to conquer the growing darkness.

"Fire-_Archery_…" Sasuke read the sign at the largest and emptiest of the game booths, eyeing the long stretch of grass between the starting line and the row of five round, ringed targets.

"Step right up! Step right up!"

The Archery master popped out of nowhere, choosing to place a fat hand on Kakashi's shoulder and guide him up to the booth. Iruka put his palm over his mouth to stifle a laugh—this man had _no idea_ who he was dealing with!

Kakashi was busy grinning in that disarming way, however, and Iruka smiled, familiar with Kakashi's sense of humor. He walked up with Sasuke and Naruto to see the Archer busily choosing a simple wooden longbow and an arrow for the Jounin.

"Now, have you ever used one of these before? Not a typical weapon for a ninja, eh?" The man winked, taking a handkerchief out of the fold of his food-stained Yukata and wiping the sweat from his balding head.

"Oh… _hmmmmm_…" Kakashi pretended to think, tapping his masked cheek, "I might have once… Oh well, I can't remember." He shrugged and grinned back at the bald man, who practically rubbed his fingers together with greed.

"No problem, no problem," he said, pushing Kakashi over to the starting line in front of the first target.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, standing in his typical pose of boredom, while Naruto reached behind the counter of the booth to try and unhook a longbow off the back wall. Iruka paid them no mind, watching his lover in action after realizing that he could do so without having to hide it. He roved hungry eyes over the Jounin's backside.

"Now, I should charge you the fee–but why don't you try one shot on the house!" The man grinned as he put the bow in Kakashi's left hand and showed him where to grip.

"So… where does this go?" Kakashi asked, holding the arrow backwards, and the gamesman laughed nervously. Iruka almost couldn't bear to watch.

"Oh, no, no, it goes this way," he said correcting it.

Kakashi smiled innocently at him again, getting situated in the right places, and the man held a lighter to the end of the arrow. Iruka heard Sasuke call to Naruto, who hurried to join them with a bow and arrow already in his hands.

"Now, just pull back on the string, take aim, and loose the arrow!" the bald man said, his voice shaking in eagerness, expecting to earn some easy cash. The arrow's flame flickered on the night wind, and Iruka held his breath.

"Hmmm…like this?" Kakashi asked jovially, pulling back on the string and letting it snap the arrow into the darkness. It made a fiery arc and then plunged into the target, piercing the black center spot near its uppermost edge.

Kakashi turned back to the man, rubbing his neck in embarrassment, "I guess I need some more practice."

The bald man's face fell—he'd been so sure that Kakashi would miss. Iruka was surprised at how quickly he regrouped.

"Oh, beginner's luck, beginner's luck! I'm sure you couldn't do it again!"

"Care to wager?" Kakashi chuckled, resting the end of his bow on the grass.

The man glared, turning quickly to the rest of them, "Anyone else? Who wants to have a shot at winning a _fabulous_ prize?"

"My turn! My turn!" Naruto bounded up to the starting line, standing next to Kakashi.

"Yes! All right," the bald man hurried over, a little surprised that Naruto already had equipment. "That'll be five per arrow; how many would you like?"

"_What_?" Naruto demanded, pointing at Kakashi, "But you let him go for free!"

"Ah, well…you see," the man mopped his bald head, "That was the last free-shot of the night."

Naruto grumbled, digging out his wallet and opening it's frog mouth. "Ehhhhhh?" he shouted, finding only three single bills. He turned the wallet over and shook it by the legs.

"_Moron_," Sasuke muttered, walking up to the starting line. He handed a wad of bills over to the bald man. "He'll take ten."

Iruka and Kakashi glanced at each other in surprise, and the bald man pocketed the money with ninja-like speed. "Coming right up!" he shuffled off to the large quiver of arrows behind the counter.

Naruto gaped, "I don't need ten!"

Sasuke smirked at him, looking cool. "It'll take you at _least_ ten to hit the bulls-eye."

Naruto took a step towards him, furious, "Asshole! I'll do it in five! No—_THREE_!" He held out three fingers.

"Tch," Sasuke didn't change his expression, skeptical with an edge of amusement.

The man came over and handed him the first lighted arrow, and Naruto planted his feet, determined to hit the center. Iruka moved a couple of steps closer to Kakashi, uncomfortable with the intensity of the challenge between the students. Naruto had a steady grip on the longbow, and he nocked the arrow in the right place. Iruka blinked—Naruto must really have been watching Kakashi a minute ago.

Naruto pulled back on the string, aimed, and loosed the arrow. The three watched spellbound as it sailed completely over the target to land in the dirt.

"Hn," Sasuke commented, Naruto facing him with a furious scowl. He gripped his longbow tightly and marched over towards Iruka, moving past him to grab onto Kakashi's arm and tug him a few steps away.

Iruka could hear Naruto ask in what he probably thought was a whisper, "Hey Kakashi-sensei, can you give me some pointers?"

Naruto craned his neck to aim a hot glare at Sasuke, who was facing their direction in cool ease. Those cunning black eyes met Iruka's for a moment, and he felt a chill along his spine. He glanced back at Kakashi who was whispering silently and steadily into the blond's ear.

"Got it," Naruto nodded at the Jounin, and with a determined look marched back to the starting line.

Iruka felt Kakashi come up next to him, and they exchanged a glance. He was grinning, perfectly calm, and it made Iruka irritated that he wasn't more affected by the overall tense dynamics.

Naruto braced his feet again, nocking the next arrow, while Sasuke looked on in unruffled elegance. The bald man lit the tip, and Naruto drew the arrow and string back close to his ear. He gritted his teeth in concentration, and Iruka thought he could smell a hint of chakra before the string snapped and the arrow whipped through the air—

They watched in silence as the arrow thudded into the top edge of the straw-packed target, taking out a chunk of it before falling into the dirt near his first shot.

"Shit!" Naruto cursed through his teeth, running his gloved hand through his wild blond hair in frustration. Iruka bit his lip. Naruto was getting closer to hitting the center, but he was using too much power… he had to control it better…

Naruto held out an impatient hand for the next arrow, and the bald man jumped before handing it to him. Naruto didn't look at any of them—his eyes were locked on the target. He nodded at the bald man to light the arrow, and then he drew the string back slowly, holding it taut next to his head. He closed his blue eyes in concentration, and the night air ruffled the majestic, flaming coat around his body.

Iruka closed his hands around his elbows, the suspense making him sweat even though the summer night was pleasant. Naruto stood completely still, and Iruka bit his lip hard, wondering if he'd really do it. Sasuke was turned towards the target, but if it were Iruka standing that close, he'd have had both eyes on _Naruto_. Iruka felt the ghost of Kakashi's gloved hand touching him briefly and reassuringly at the small of his back.

Naruto opened his eyes, taking careful aim, and with his throat rumbling with electric energy he let the arrow shoot into the darkness—

The flaming point smashed clean through the target, leaving a gaping hole in its wake, divided in equal parts of the black center and the first white ring surrounding it.

"Haha!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing a fist in the air, "Did you see _that_!"

He grabbed Sasuke's arm and shook him, and Iruka thought he saw a brief smile curl Sasuke's lip before he rolled his eyes and jerked his elbow away.

"Ultimate moron," Sasuke muttered, and Naruto stuck out his tongue.

"Let's see you do it, _tensai_," he challenged, holding out the bow.

Iruka let out the breath he'd been holding and turned to Kakashi. He kept his voice low, "_What_ did you tell him?" Iruka had never seen someone shoot straight through a target; it was remarkable that the arrow didn't shatter first.

Kakashi simply grinned, "Only what he needed to hear."

Iruka glared at the non-answer and added it to the list of things he'd make Kakashi tell him later. With physical force, if necessary.

"Idiot," Sasuke said to Naruto, stepping up to the line in front of the third target and snatching the longbow from Naruto's hand. Naruto crossed his arms, his confident blue eyes sweeping up and down Sasuke's form while he was getting situated..

The Uchiha held the bow tightly in his left hand, accepting the arrow from the bald man, who was sweating so heavily that at this point his handkerchief was only pushing the dampness around on his scalp. At Sasuke's glare, he lit the point with a shaking hand, and Sasuke pulled back on the string, eyes switching to blood red as he sighted along the arrow's shaft. There was a sharp _ping_, and the arrow shot in an arc to thud into the target, two rings to the left of the dark, black center.

"_Ha_," Naruto teased, "It's harder than it looks!"

Sasuke glared with his scarlet eyes, and held out a hand to the proprietor for the next arrow. When it was lit, he pulled back on the string, taking a few moments longer to aim, and then he released the arrow.

Iruka bit his lip—he could already tell that it was going to miss the center, even though it would be closer than the first shot.

"_Shit_," he heard Sasuke curse softly, and to his surprise, Sasuke reached to his sash and withdrew something black, flipping it open in the direction of the target with lightning speed.

Iruka couldn't see what happened, but the arrow changed its trajectory in mid-descent, piercing the left edge of the black center. The arrow's fletchings wobbled to and fro from the impact. Sasuke folded the fan and tucked it back into his Obi, and Iruka gaped–had he altered the air current with that little fan?

He wasn't the only one gaping; Naruto was pointing and shouting, "What the hell was that?"

Sasuke shrugged, unapologetic.

"_What_ did you do?" Naruto demanded, trying to grab the fan from Sasuke's sash, his face twisted in anger.

Sasuke grabbed his gloved arm tightly, equally irritated. "I hit the target, _Moron_."

Iruka took a step forward, wanting to break up the scuffle before it got out of hand, but Kakashi was walking past him.

"Well well," he addressed the bald gamesman, "Did I hear you say you had fabulous prizes? I believe we have some winners, isn't that so?"

The bald man spluttered, and Naruto and Sasuke stopped their bickering for the moment. _'Good one_', Iruka smiled at the back of his lover.

"I… I… of course I have prizes," the bald man was wiping his brow furiously. He spread his hands out in apology, "Alas–there hasn't yet been a _qualified_ winner."

"_WHAT_?!" Naruto raised his voice.

"Oh ho…" Kakashi countered, "The prizes go to those who hit the center of the targets, yes? Then there should be at least two prizes awarded. I will graciously step out of the running, as you were so kind to give me a free shot."

Kakashi spread his hands in a humble gesture, though his tone was predatory. Iruka watched from the side, glad to be out of it.

"Ah-ha-ha… _well_…" the bald man wrung his hands, "But you see, putting a hole in the target is a disqualification–" Naruto made angry noises and the man raised his voice, "–and I'm sorry, but using ninja …arts?… to redirect your arrow is also a disqualification…"

Kakashi looked thoughtful, "So if Sasuke and Naruto can hit a bulls-eye without either of those things occurring, then they will be awarded prizes?"

"They would…" the man was shuffling uncomfortably, starting to turn red from distress, "Except that once disqualified, they are furthermore ineligible!"

"That's not fair!" Naruto shouted, and Sasuke held him back, though his face was equally outraged.

"Okay." Kakashi was smiling again.

Both of the students turned to glare at him, annoyed with his easy concession.

He continued smoothly, "Then I suppose it's _Iruka's_ turn."

The four of them looked at Iruka, who felt completely stunned by this announcement.

"_Me_?" He asked in disbelief.

"Come on," Kakashi crooked his finger at him, "There are five arrows left. I'm sure you know how to shoot a longbow, Iruka-_sensei_."

Iruka glared at him, but walked over to the line, putting his hands on his hips. _How_ did Kakashi know? They'd never talked about it before. The man was as maddening as he was mysterious.

"Yes! Go Iruka-sensei!" Naruto cheered.

Sasuke handed over the bow, his expression unreadable. Iruka felt a flare of anger—Sasuke was underestimating him! He may not be a tensai, but he sure wasn't a _Genin_. Iruka's expression hardened.

"Okay, how many prizes do you guys want?" he let the confidence show in his voice, and Sasuke raised his eyebrows–which infuriated Iruka further.

"Now look here!" The bald man's weasel-voice was really starting to get on Iruka's nerves. He waved his fat hand in the air, "Only one prize per customer!"

"But we've got _five_ arrows left," Iruka shot back.

The man quailed, but kept up his protest, "I am a poor traveling tradesman, and I can't afford to give so many prizes away…"

"Tch," Iruka glared at him, "Fine. I say two bulls-eyes is worth two prizes. You've made a nice profit on our group already, and if you don't comply I _will_ report to the Hokage that you're trying to cheat her people."

The bald man looked very alarmed at this, spluttering, "But but–well … if you use _only_ two arrows… and hit the _exact_ centers, mind…"

Iruka gave him one more glare, then picked his spot at the starting line, testing the weight of the bow. He pulled on the string, making sure it was the right tightness. It would do. He looked down the grassy field to the two remaining targets, checking their alignment and smirking.

This was going to be easy.

Iruka held out his hand as the man shuffled forward with the remaining arrows, and he looked them over. He picked two that looked just right, and twirled them together like a baton around his fingers, getting the feel of them.

"Fire, please," he said to the gamesman, holding out the ends of _both_ arrows.

The man nervously obeyed, not willing to question what Iruka was doing. Iruka turned to his comrades and jerked his head to his left, suggesting they step back out of the way.

He closed his mind, eliminating everything but the sound of the flames dancing on the arrowheads, and the sight of the remaining targets lined up at a distance. It was a shot he'd made a thousand times—two targets at once was simple for someone with his talents.

He held the feathered ends of the arrows with the fingers of his right hand, like chopsticks, and brought them to the bow. He nocked them both at once, leaving a space on the bowstring for his grip, and closed his hand around the smooth wood of the bow just the way he'd been taught.

Trick shots weren't so difficult, really. All they needed were a strong wrist and steady fingers, and the control to hold the arrows precisely and make them obey. Iruka drew back the string close to his ear, each flaming tip angled to a separate target. He concentrated on the heat of the two flames licking over his knuckles as he took careful aim.

Iruka loosed the string and his breath as one—the arrows sang through the air like firecrackers.

Their twin arcs plunged towards the two last targets like the swooping tails of Dragons, thudding almost simultaneously in the center of the black circles. Iruka had kept himself still, his weight forward on one foot and his arms still in the air, watching with a keen eye to make sure he won the gamble. The dangling red cords swayed at his wrists, a soft movement in the silence after his arrows had hit their marks.

Even Naruto was dumfounded, murmuring an awestruck "Awesome…"

Iruka felt vindication coil in his belly, complacent, purring, seeing the re-assessing gaze of his student Sasuke, and the completely shocked blue eye of his lover. Kakashi was standing very still, the back of his gloved hand pressed against his nose. It wasn't often that he could do _that _to the Copy-Ninja, and Iruka enjoyed it thoroughly—filling his brown eyes with the promises of similar power to feed on.

_Later_.

He glanced at the shocked features of the gamesman, reaching out to return the bow and finding him completely unresponsive. Iruka grumbled, resting the longbow impatiently against the man's shoulder and heading back to his comrades.

"Naruto, Sasuke," he addressed the students, "Let's get your prizes and go on into the stadium."

"Yes!" Was the unanimous reply.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke looked doubtfully at the so-called prize.

When was he ever going to use a pencil case? It figured that the cheap bald man would only have things like this to call "prizes," and he sighed. Now he was stuck having to keep track of it for the rest of the night.

Still… Iruka-sensei had been quite impressive. He was so friendly and open, it was hard to remember that he was also a very skilled _ninja_. It made Sasuke think higher of Academy teachers, and it made him curious about what other special skills Iruka had up his sleeve. In chagrin, he realized he hadn't yet considered that Naruto might face him in the hunt.

Sasuke watched the brown-haired teacher talking casually with Kakashi, and felt a pang of envy—they were obviously very well matched. It was _exactly_ what he wanted with his teammate.

He looked down at Naruto, who was tucking his pencil-case into his sack of explosives, the stunning coat fanned out behind him as he knelt. Sasuke folded his arms across his body and tightened his lips. It was going to be a very long evening if he was still salivating like this over him—where in the world had he gotten such an amazing outfit? He'd never seen gloves like those, and the _coat_!

His palms itched almost as much to touch the magnificent embroidery as they did to touch the shinobi underneath.

"Oi, Naruto! OI!" Came a loud, brassy voice behind them.

Sasuke saw Naruto's head jerk up out of the corner of his eye as he turned towards the noise. Two of their classmates were heading towards them on their way to the stadium. Sasuke suddenly noticed the sea of people streaming in that direction, and felt a twinge of urgency—they couldn't miss the speech!

"Hey, Kiba!" Naruto jumped up, taking a few quick steps to catch up to the tall boy, flanked as always by his large white dog and his silent teammate, Shino.

_So_… Shino had made it back in time for the Hunt. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

Naruto grabbed Kiba's arm and pointed to the demolished target, "Look, look! I shot an arrow right through it!"

Kiba ruffled Naruto's blond hair, grinning and shaking his head, "_Baaaa_-ka, you're not supposed to destroy things!"

Naruto laughed and knocked Kiba's hand away with his armored wrist; Kiba brought his other hand up to continue his playful attack.

"What in heck are you wearing?" Kiba grinned, swiping at Naruto with his quick reflexes and making exaggerated leers at the beautiful coat.

"I could ask you the same thing, dog breath!" Naruto laughed, blocking Kiba and managing to muss his brown hair over his eyes. Sasuke spared a glance at Kiba's fur-trimmed coat that hid most of his deep brown Yukata.

"You never do anything normal, eh Naruto?" Kiba tossed the hair from his eyes with a sassy jerk of his head.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed further, watching the little game, and he took a step towards them–surprised to see Shino do the same thing. For a long moment he and Shino looked at each other; cold black eyes locked with cold black sunglasses.

"Oi," Kiba was saying, feinting to throw Naruto off, "Are you going in to hear the speech about the Hunt?"

"Of course!" Naruto laughed, easily dodging Kiba's half-hearted attempts to land a punch somewhere.

Sasuke felt his brows creasing in his forehead, since it looked like Naruto was having fun. Irrationally, Sasuke didn't like it.

"Do you have seats yet?" Kiba asked, "Hey, come sit with us! We were just going in—"

"_Kiba_." That was all Shino said, but it's effect on Kiba was instant.

Sasuke watched as the Inuzuka quickly dropped his arms and turned away from Naruto. Kiba and Shino exchanged a long look, then Shino turned and walked away from them, unhurried. Kiba turned to Naruto, a chagrined smile on his face and his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Guess I better go. Later!" He dashed off to catch up with his teammate.

"Later!" Naruto called back, waving. His happy smile changed to a more thoughtful one.

"What a weird guy," Naruto commented. Sasuke nodded back.

They both knew which of them he meant, and they watched for a moment as their classmates walked up the steps into the coliseum. They were both wearing coats over their Yukata; Sasuke felt a little absurd for noticing.

He shifted his eyes over to Naruto and just drank in the sight of him, uninterrupted for a good minute until their eyes met. Sasuke smirked, tilting his head in the direction of their friends.

"Let's go."

Naruto shot him a big grin and picked up his sack of Kukaku's loot, and Sasuke's heart made an overly-loud thump in his chest. Naruto really had no idea how cute he was, did he?

"Oi, Iruka-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called to their teachers, and the four of them made their way into the huge building.

The stadium was a familiar place; they came here to watch the final matches of the Chuunin exam each time Konoha hosted it. The stands were nearly full, which meant that they'd probably make it just in time to hear Tsunade. Kakashi led them up the winding staircases to the higher tiers, and the four of them had to crowd past all the people loitering in clusters and socializing before the Opening Ceremony began.

Sasuke looked around as they climbed up the stairs, and became increasingly self-conscious at the number of adults who were staring at him. He kept his chin high, but his senses alert, wondering what the deal was—it was far different from the attention he was used to from idiot fangirls. It had already happened once or twice over the course of the evening, but the larger crowds made it much more noticeable.

He tightened his lips, following at the end of their group and finally coming out of the tight staircase onto the upper-most tier. Kakashi motioned for the three of them to go ahead down the aisle to find four empty seats, and Sasuke caught his eye before passing him. He raised a questioning eyebrow. Maybe Kakashi could tell him what was going on. If anyone had noticed, it would be him.

Kakashi's face was unreadable under the mask, and he simply gestured his gloved hand in the direction the others had gone. Sasuke didn't like it, but he turned and went down the narrow steps anyways, sliding into the row and taking the seat beside Naruto. Iruka smiled warmly and sat on his other side, Kakashi on the aisle.

He took a deep breath, though the hairs on the back of his neck were rigid from the sense of people staring at him from behind. He tried to sit casually, looking down into the stadium to take his mind off of the disturbing behavior around him. There was a raised platform at the far end of the grassy area below them; lines of huge drums framed it on all sides. Around the interior of the oval stadium was a huge ring of tall torches flickering against the concrete wall.

Sasuke leaned his elbows forward on his knees, folding his hands in front of his face, waiting for something to happen. The staring was not helping him enjoy the festival, even though he had Naruto beside him—he wanted to get out of here as soon as they heard Tsunade's speech. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand; either he really shouldn't have gone without sleep, or he was getting overly paranoid—he was starting to imagine people _whispering_ as well.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto nudged his shoulder.

He turned his head enough to see gorgeous blue eyes looking at him. He didn't know what was different, but they were so intense and blue…it was like he'd never really looked at them before…

"You've gone all stiff," Naruto said, "Something bothering you?"

Sasuke's heart thumped hard in his chest, and he couldn't think of anything to say. He didn't want Naruto worrying, so he shrugged, and tried to come up with an excuse that was simple and believable. Before he managed to say anything, Naruto placed a strong hand on his knee, giving it a friendly squeeze.

"Try and loosen up, okay?" For a thrilling moment their eyes met, and Sasuke could feel electric tingles shooting up his thigh. Naruto smiled in that disarming way of his, and turned back to look out into the stadium.

Sasuke was going to have a heart attack.

There was a roaring cheer, and he turned along with everyone else to the Hokage balcony, seeing Tsunade step up to the railing with several attendants behind her. She was in a very elegant sleeveless Yukata in the overly-bare women's style, a pale spring green with an asymmetrical pattern of pink Sakura blossoms swirling up the left side. Her long golden hair was twisted on top of her head in a modern European style, and she raised her arms in welcome.

"People of Konoha! Welcome to the Opening Ceremony of the _Festival of the Golden Kunai_!" her voice boomed out over the crowds, and people jumped to their feet. Sasuke stood up too, feeling the contagious excitement sweep over everyone.

"May I introduce the esteemed Feudal Lords of Fire Country!" Tsunade said, and there was a bustle of activity down at ground level.

Eight men in bright red costumes filed behind the center row of drums, taking up their large mallets. On some unknown cue, they began to beat out an undulating rhythm, adding their deep male voices in staccato bursts that seemed to incite everyone in the audience.

Dressed in ornate and gaudy regalia, the Feudal Lords entered into the stadium on horseback, a glittering parade of jeweled robes on both the men and their horses. They waved at the crowds as they circled the stadium in a long line. Some of the Lords were accompanied by their wives, but it was mostly men riding tall in the saddle with regal grace.

The man in the very front had the flashiest appearance, and he was closely flanked by a brown haired girl who couldn't be much younger than Sasuke; she rode comfortably and confidently, keeping close to the man Sasuke assumed to be her father, and yet she also seemed to command a certain deference from the men riding behind her.

Her robes looked as expensive as they were elegant, and from the way she carried herself he could tell she wasn't just a wealthy noble female. She was too… poised, or graceful. Something about the way she sat implied she'd had years of training in something _other_ than riding horses, and if it wasn't ninjutsu it had to be something similar. Whoever she was, Sasuke made note of her—she was bound to be someone important.

As he'd learned early on; all knowledge is worth having.

Behind the long string of Lords—and there were many more than Sasuke expected to see—came more horses. Only these weren't dressed in finery or ridden by a nobleman. Harnessed and guided by caretakers, the horses seemed utterly naked and primal without all the tassels and sequins, their coats brushed to a sleek shimmer, and their manes and tails unbraided and flowing in the air.

"Hmmm," Naruto was leaning forward in his seat, craning to see the horses, "I saw someone with a horse yesterday… waiting to see Tsunade-no-Baa-chan…"

Sasuke perked his ears, finding the tidbit curious, but it was Iruka who spoke, "The Feudal Lords are known for producing magnificent horses," the teacher said. "They're probably showing off their latest stock."

"Yes," Kakashi added, "They've been trying for years to breed a horse that can beat the lines of purebreds from the Wind Country. I suspect Tsunade-sama has allowed them a chance to do some trading in Konoha… since we are a _hidden_ village…"

"And if Konoha can profit from the secret trading…" Sasuke added, and the two sensei nodded their agreements. _Interesting_. Maybe Tsunade was a better businesswoman than they thought.

The parade finally ended, and Tsunade stood up again to address the crowd. Naruto moved to the edge of his seat, and Sasuke felt a half smile twitch at his lip. He loved watching Naruto when he got excited about something. Everyone was focused on the Hokage with bated breath, and Tsunade took her time, letting the suspense build.

"Now that we are all assembled, I have an important announcement. As you know, one of the highlights of the _Festival of the Golden Kunai_ is the traditional Scavenger Hunt!"

Tsunade paused for dramatic effect, and Sasuke heard a ripple of murmurs from the crowd.

"As your Hokage, I have done my best to arrange and ensure a very exciting, and highly _competitive_ experience for those who choose to participate," Her eyes scanned the crowd from one side to the other, "And so I challenge you! Chuunin and Jounin of Konoha—do you have what it takes to survive?"

People everywhere were jumping to their feet, Naruto included, whether from personal determination or just the rush of excitement, it was impossible to tell. Sasuke stood, even though he had no desire to take part. He'd do everything to help Naruto, but he definitely wouldn't compete: If he lost, he'd know for sure that he wasn't as strong as Itachi. And if he won… he'd break the heart of his most precious person.

Putting a second Kunai in his cabinet wasn't worth the price he'd have to pay.

"Registration is open for any Chuunin or Jounin who believes themselves worthy of being Konoha's champion! Report to the conference room in the Hokage tower tomorrow at 3:00 sharp for rules and instructions. And now, for your special entertainment, may I present our first performance of the night: Fire Country's very own National Acrobatics Troupe." Tsunade paused, and there was applause as well as excited conversation sweeping across the rows of gathered ninja.

Tsunade spread her arms out wide, grinning broadly, "Without further ado, I, Godaime Hokage declare: LET THE FESTIVAL BEGIN!"

Amid the deafening cheers of the spectators, Sasuke could feel the booming of all the drums beating in unison down below. It rippled in his chest, and most everyone around them was sitting down to watch the spectacle, the cheers dying off rapidly. He sat down as well, relieved that there was something other than _him _to distract the villagers–even though he still saw several people turning around in their seats to look at him. He resisted the urge to sink down in his seat, ignoring everyone and trying to watch what was happening on the stage.

Five men in bright red pants had leapt onto the platform, shirtless and muscular, each carrying a thin staff about four feet long. They created intricate patterns with high leaps and the quick twirling of each pole, an acrobatic routine as frenzied as it was graceful. These men had obviously trained for a very long time to master such moves—almost like taijutsu, but with too many openings, if you didn't count the weapons in their hands.

Then a sixth performer entered, wearing a horned mask and trailing what looked like scarves in a hundred different shades of red over a golden costume. Next to the five men it was obvious that the latest addition was female, and her moves were the yin to their yang, somehow balancing the choreography while becoming the center of it.

In a sudden, bold move that punctuated their athletic abilities and heightened the performance, each staff burst into flames at either end. The audience _Ooooo_-ed and _Ahhhhhh_-ed, watching in fascination at the complex patterns the men created from throwing and catching the flaming weapons while also flipping and somersaulting across the stage.

Sasuke let his eyes bleed to the Sharingan, ignoring the gentle sea-sickness that always accompanied the spinning of the Copy mode. He recorded everything the dancers did: the timing of the throws, the angles of the leaps, the movements in the wrists that kept the double-torches in constant motion. Any part of it might be useful later on.

He stopped recording when he became aware of the increasingly obvious whispering from the spectators in front of him, closing his eyes for a moment and letting the Sharingan recede. As soon as his lashes rested on his cheeks, his ears could make out pieces of the murmurings—

Look!… is that him?… the Uchiha… eliminated everyone… if he enters again… which one is he… wouldn't want to fight him… he's doing it now!… had a brother… shhh, he's looking… never stood a chance… Uchiha bloodline… better not risk it… yes, Itachi… they say … Itachi…

Sasuke opened his eyes in shock. _Itachi? Itachi_!

People everywhere were looking at him, leaning to their neighbors and whispering. His ears flattened against his head defensively, and he looked around at all the faces, his hand touching his necklace in a subconsciously protective gesture. What the _hell_ was going on?

Naruto nudged him with his knee to get his attention, and Sasuke turned to face him, trying to keep his disquiet from showing. Naruto's face was intense, like when he was ready to fight in a match, his voice lower that usual.

"Why is everyone staring, Sasuke?"

Sasuke glared past Naruto to the next people over, talking in not-so hushed voices:

_Ask him!"  
No YOU ask him!"_

Sasuke bared his teeth, scowling. "I don't know," he answered honestly.

"I don't like it," Naruto looked around, also scowling in irritation, "What the hell?"

Sasuke's lips pressed in a tight line, and he looked over to Iruka-sensei. Iruka was turned to Kakashi, and they were exchanging fast whispers; he couldn't hear or see enough to follow their quick dialogue. He looked behind them to find more people gawking, and—to his shock!—catching lots of people actually pointing at him. They quickly dropped their arms when they saw him turn around, but he was starting to get angry.

"Iruka-sensei," Naruto interrupted loudly, "Is it time for dinner yet?"

Iruka stopped his conversation with Kakashi and turned to them both. His smile was obviously forced, "We were just talking about that."

"I picked out a very nice place, so if you're all ready, I'll lead the way," Kakashi offered, standing up and keeping his voice light.

Sasuke felt relieved; he didn't know how much more staring or whispering he could take, although he didn't have much of an appetite either. The rest of them stood, Naruto having to heave up his sack of fireworks before following them out of the row, but Sasuke felt comforted having him at his back. Walking up the exposed aisle made it even worse; people weren't even bothering to whisper now, although the mixture of voices made it impossible to follow any one conversation.

Sasuke jumped when he heard Naruto's voice shouting angrily at the people to their right: "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"

It made him smile, at least on the inside; it was good to have Naruto as a teammate. Sasuke had an awful guess about what was stirring up the ninjas in the village, and if he was right, it wasn't likely to stop until the festival was over. _If_ it stopped at all.

Kakashi got them out of there much quicker than it had taken to get in; almost everyone in the village was inside watching the entertainment so there was little traffic. This proved to be the case all over Konoha, as the only people they encountered were those too drunk to care about the Ceremony, or those who didn't care about the Hunt. It was clear there were considerably more of the former than the latter.

Kakashi stopped them in front of a barbecue restaurant not too far from Sasuke's favorite curry shop.

"I made reservations here, I hope you all like barbecue!" Kakashi's eye crinkled as he smiled, gesturing at the doors.

Sasuke touched Kakashi's arm-guard, saying in a low voice, "I want to talk to you."

The Jounin looked back at him steadily, then called to Iruka without breaking their gaze. "Would you mind getting the table? We'll just be a moment."

"No problem," Iruka guided Naruto into the restaurant, and Sasuke crossed his arms as he retreated into the thicker shadows of the building. Kakashi waited for him to start, leaning into the wall nearby and resting his hands on his hips as if he had pockets to put them in.

Sasuke gritted his teeth, choosing his first words carefully. "I look like him, don't I."

"Hmmm," Kakashi paused, looking out into the street. The lanterns were swaying gently, and they could hear couples laughing drunkenly a little ways down the street.

"You _are_ his brother. And an Uchiha."

"But I _can't_ look like him, I mean…" Sasuke ran a hand angrily through his hair, "I don't even remember–"

He gasped—it was true! His heart clenched; he was starting to forget what Itachi looked like. It had been too long.

"Sasuke." Kakashi turned his head to look at him, his eye roving over his features. "People are only remembering how Itachi won the last Hunt, and how he left Konoha rather… _mysteriously_. There aren't many shinobi who can say they really knew him, or have had the pleasure of knowing you both." He looked up at the sky, watching the rainbow of lanterns bob on their lines.

"You know who you are. Try not to let it bother you."

"But you did it too, Kakashi-sensei!" Sasuke knew his eyes were as angry as his voice, "You mistook me for him, didn't you?"

Kakashi closed his eye and sighed, "Only for a moment…"

"You almost attacked me!" Sasuke looked out into the street, wondering why Kakashi had reacted so strongly. He'd always thought the two had been close; at least that was what Itachi had implied.

He sighed, "I must really look like him if it fooled _you_, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi took a deep breath, "I thought you were Itachi, yes. You showed up in his cloak and you're wearing his necklace, for God's sake." His voice was that rigid calm that meant underneath, he was upset.

"This isn't his, it's _mine_!" Sasuke felt childish, hearing the words out loud. He touched the bead at his throat.

"But he gave it to you, didn't he?" Kakashi argued. Sasuke scowled.

"I worked with him in ANBU," Kakashi continued, "He preferred mesh shirts, and he always wore that necklace—or one just like it." Kakashi paused, lost in thought. "You know he was… _unpredictable_ …so when I thought it was him, my reaction was automatic. I wouldn't have hurt you, Sasuke."

It was a small relief.

"So everyone," Sasuke hesitated; he felt sick. "When they look at me, they only see _him_."

"No, I wouldn't say that." Kakashi took a step closer. "The festival is reminding everyone that the Uchiha clan is powerful; a force to be reckoned with. They remember Itachi, yes… but they are wondering about _you_: Uchiha _Sasuke_."

Sasuke didn't comment.

After a moment, Kakashi continued, "Listen. This time, you'll be the one to show everyone in the Hunt how strong you are; you almost got the bell from me by yourself the other day."

Sasuke shook his head, anger seeping back into his chest. "Tch. Everyone will be disappointed, then. I won't be entering the Hunt."

"_What_?" Kakashi was genuinely surprised, "Why not?"

Sasuke only glared, cocking his head defiantly.

"Then what was all that with the strawberries, and the training with Naruto?"

Sasuke felt himself flush, but his voice was serious, "That was … for _Naruto. He's_ the one who's going to win."

"I see," Kakashi regarded him curiously. The two of them stood in silence for several minutes.

Kuso! Sasuke had hoped to avoid talking about the Hunt. Kakashi was the one ninja Sasuke was worried about Naruto beating; he hadn't yet come up with a strategy that might give Naruto enough of an edge. The Jounin hadn't said either way, but Sasuke was reasonably sure that Kakashi would be competing; he couldn't think of any reason for him not to. He had to find a way. He just had to.

"So," Kakashi cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Speaking of Naruto, he's been checking you out all night…"

Sasuke snapped to attention, not sure if Kakashi was joking, but then flushed at the lewd grin on his sensei's face. "Hn," he muttered.

"Hmmmmm," Kakashi leered at him, "You know the evening's almost over–have you figured out how you'll make your move?"

"_Kakashi_!" Sasuke hissed, glaring for all he was worth though his stomach flipped eagerly at the suggestion.

That was another thing he had to figure out, and fast! God, why couldn't he at least have taken a nap before tonight? This wasn't supposed to be so _stressful_.

The Jounin just laughed at him, holding out a hand, "Here, let me see your pencil case."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Why?" He demanded, holding it behind his back protectively.

Kakashi wiggled his gloved fingers, "I'm serious. I just want to give you something."

Sasuke didn't trust him, but he could always throw it away if it was something… something _what_? What could it possibly be? Reluctantly, he handed over the pencil case, and Kakashi opened it, closed it, and handed it back so fast that Sasuke didn't see what he'd done.

He looked at the case in his hands, holding it with care as if it could explode if he moved even a single muscle.

"Now then," Kakashi laughed, "You can thank me later. Let's go in." And with that he turned and walked through the restaurant door.

Sasuke had to look. He had to know.

Very carefully, he lifted the lid of the pencil case, and felt his face grow hotter than lava and twice as red. He closed the lid and tucked it safely and securely into his sash, next to the fan.

They would _never_ speak of this again.

* * *

--

* * *

In the nearly empty restaurant, Naruto sat down in the booth across from Iruka, plunking his sack of explosives safely under the table.

"Iruka-sensei, what was with all those people?" he asked. Naruto had never seen such behavior.

…At least, not when it wasn't directed at _him_.

It had really bothered Sasuke, and it didn't make any sense—what could Sasuke have done? Naruto felt a twitching in his abdomen; Sasuke was drop-dead _gorgeous_ tonight, and having to fight off an erection more than once because of it was proof enough.

But Sasuke couldn't have … er … _bewitched_ everyone in the village, could he? Naruto folded his arms on the edge of the table.

"Everyone's just worked up about the festival," Iruka answered, leaning back in the booth in a relaxed manner.

"I don't like to see him so uncomfortable like that."

"Oh don't worry. He'll be feeling loads better when he comes back in with Kakashi," Iruka reassured him.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, "Kakashi-sensei is good at that kind of thing."

He smiled at his teacher, and Iruka looked surprised for a moment. Then he turned away with a hint of color in his cheeks, and a soft smile.

Naruto laughed, "You can't even help it, can you?" He teased, seeing Iruka's shocked expression.

"_Naruto_!" Iruka warned him, his cheeks turning pinker. Naruto laughed harder.

"Look who's talking," Iruka raised his eyebrows, "I've seen you gawking at Sasuke more than once tonight!"

Naruto grinned, "But hey, I can't help it you know–Sasuke is _completely_ sexy tonight! Argh!" He clapped his gloved hands over his cheeks, trying to hide his blush. Iruka laughed with him, both of them crimson.

"Shhhh," Iruka warned, "They could come back here at any time, you know."

"Hey, Iruka-sensei," Naruto looked at the teacher more seriously, "It was kinda weird at first to be around Kakashi… especially since I know, uh …" Crap, this wasn't what he was trying to say at all!

Iruka's smile fell, and Naruto quickly went on, "But really, he's a really great sensei… and I can tell that you… and that he…er…" Naruto blushed, not finishing his sentence.

Iruka looked relieved, "I think I know what you're trying to say."

"Yeah," Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "I want that. With Sasuke."

Iruka looked pleasantly surprised, and they didn't say anything else for a minute or two.

"So…" Iruka cleared his throat after a while, "I saw Sasuke watching _you_, too…" He was blushing, though it was clear that he was trying not to.

"Seriously?" Naruto asked loudly, his own cheeks coloring.

"Yep," Iruka nodded. "You didn't tell me how the training went yesterday… so I was a little worried that maybe things… I don't know…"

Naruto chuckled, looking away, "Heh, training… that was really fun." He turned back with a huge grin on his face, "I was so dirty I had to borrow his clothes so I could get home!"

Naruto thoroughly enjoyed the look on Iruka's face at this announcement, and laughed uninhibitedly. He was tempted, but maybe he shouldn't tell Iruka about how Sasuke had licked strawberry off of his collarbone; it might be too much.

He shivered; it was almost too much for _him_.

"I see," Iruka replied, obviously trying to imagine what in the world had gone on yesterday. "Then… are you going to make a move? The night is almost over—just dinner and the fireworks finale."

"Ehhhhh!" Naruto looked shocked, "It's almost over?"

Oh God… what was he going to do? He hadn't figured anything out yet, how to get Sasuke alone… _What would he say_?

"Shhhh," Iruka cautioned again, and Naruto ducked his head down low, trying to become less visible.

"After dinner, Kakashi's picked out a spot to watch the fireworks, and then he and I… er…" Iruka blushed.

"Oi," Naruto held up a hand, "I didn't say I wanted to know _everything_ about you and the pervert."

Iruka rolled his eyes, "I _wasn't _going to tell you!"

He took an exasperated breath, and Naruto tried to get the image of his teachers out of his mind. It wasn't that they were gross… Just ew.

Iruka cleared his throat. "I'm just asking what you had in mind, because I think you've got a good shot, and there's not much time left if you were going to do something tonight." Iruka explained.

Naruto thought hard, drumming his fingers on the table, "Gah! I don't know!"

Iruka bit his lip, and Naruto felt even more panicked. If even Iruka-sensei couldn't think of anything, how was he going to get anywhere? God, Sasuke was so irresistible, and there'd been so much tension over the past few days–Naruto thought he'd commit seppuku if something didn't happen _that night_.

"Naruto," Iruka was whispering, his face tense, and his hand shifting underneath the table.

"What?" Naruto mimicked his sensei, leaning forward and whispering. This must be something big.

"Here," Iruka glanced around at the empty tables beside them, "I'm going to pass you something under the table." He leaned forward.

"What?" Naruto asked confused, reaching under the table and stretching his fingers out obediently, looking for Iruka's hand. Where was it?

"Quickly!" Iruka's whisper was urgent, "Take it! Now!"

"Where?" Naruto flailed, not finding anything, "I can't find it!"

"Here! To the left!" Iruka hissed.

"Ah!"

Naruto's fingers finally found Iruka's arm, and he moved his hand until he could take the object he was offering. It felt like it could be _anything_. Iruka was sighing with relief, crossing his arms on the table as Naruto started to pull his hand out to look at it.

"NO!" Iruka practically shrieked, his voice hysterical, and Naruto froze.

"What the hell!" He asked impatiently, "How can I tell what it is if I can't see it?"

"Shhhh!" Iruka cautioned, and Naruto ducked down again. "You can look at it later, just put it somewhere safe!"

"Like where?" Naruto asked, looking around the booth.

"Like…" Iruka thought for a moment, "…The pencil case! Put it in there! _Now_!"

Naruto grumbled. This was so much fuss. What the hell was so important? He tucked the item in between his knees, holding it there while he dug around in his fireworks, feeling for the pencil case. He found it and opened the lid, putting the item inside and closing it tight with a little click.

Iruka sighed with relief, and Naruto started to drop the case back into the bag, but something stopped him. This just wasn't adding up. He looked back at his teacher. What the hell did he give him?

He _had _to look.

He couldn't stand not knowing, since Iruka had made such a big deal. Maybe Sasuke had that kind of discipline, but he sure didn't. Naruto ducked underneath the table, ignoring Iruka's questioning voice, holding the pencil case and cracking the lid. He looked at the object inside–

"_WHAAAAT_!" He shouted, banging his head on the table in his haste to sit up. "Ow-ow-ow-ow…" he grumbled, emerging from below the table rubbing the back of his head. He looked accusingly at his sensei, trying to cover his embarrassment.

Iruka was shifting uncomfortably in his seat, "Er, well… At least you'll be _prepared_! Just in case!"

Naruto couldn't believe it. He couldn't even _say_ it. It was too weird.

"_Yo_!" said Kakashi, making both Naruto and Iruka jump in their seats.

Naruto flushed crimson, and his throat clenched up in surprise. He exchanged a glance with Iruka and found the teacher to be just as boiling red. Naruto forced his eyes to look up at Kakashi, who was leering down at the two of them dramatically.

"What–are–you–two–up–to?" He drew out the words in a suggestive accusation.

"N-n-nothing," Naruto chuckled, totally mortified.

"Hmmmm," Kakashi said skeptically, fixing his gaze on Iruka.

"R-r-r-really, K-Kakashi!" Iruka tucked a lock of his long hair behind his ear, trying to look calm, "We were just waiting for you!"

"Aha," Kakashi said, putting his hands on his hips and shaking his head. "Well, I guess I'll sit down," he announced, sitting next to Iruka and picking up the menu.

Naruto felt his forehead break out in sweat from the awkwardness.

"Yo." Sasuke said, also appearing out of nowhere.

Naruto jumped in his seat, whipping his head around at the sound of his teammate's voice. If Naruto thought he'd been red a moment ago, it was nothing compared to what he felt he must look like now. He couldn't _stand it_! The combination of Sasuke's natural sex appeal, and the knowledge of the secret item stashed in his pencil case…

He gulped past the lump in his throat.

Sasuke sat down smoothly in the seat, strangely avoiding any kind of eye-contact. Naruto just stared at him, wondering if his ears were going to start whistling from being so close to him. _Oh God_! He was mere inches away in the tiny booth, so powerful, so deadly, so beautiful–

"What are you looking at?" Sasuke finally turned his head, and Naruto felt his heart stop altogether from the weight of those black, black eyes.

He couldn't have answered even if he'd wanted to, and somehow he knew that was okay, because whatever Sasuke had been about to ask him dissolved on his tongue when their eyes met. Naruto watched, mesmerized, as Sasuke's skin blossomed as crimson as his own, starting across his nose and spreading outward. Naruto's heart started back up with a painful thudding, the electricity between them raising the hairs on his neck.

He never knew just what Kakashi did, but Iruka's wild yelp and flailing arms broke the tension at the table with an imploding _POP_.

The mood shattered, spilling across the table and dripping onto the floor; Naruto felt like his lungs had been deprived of air for a century and he gasped from the rush of simple breathing, propping himself on the table with his elbows. When he'd managed to get himself back under control, he looked over at Sasuke, who was holding himself perfectly still and glaring at his menu, a sexy flush lingering on his cheeks.

Across the table, Iruka looked absolutely livid, and Kakashi was laughing uncontrollably, and without apology. Naruto shook his head.

If he knew Iruka, that Jounin was in _loads_ of trouble now!

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke sipped his tea, feeling more relaxed after getting some food in his system, although he hadn't managed to eat a lot.

He sat quietly, watching Iruka and Naruto cooking the last of their supper on the round grill in the center of the table. He glanced over at Kakashi, and narrowed his eyes when he saw that the Jounin had been watching him. Kakashi hadn't eaten much either. But Sasuke could bet it was because he had two of his students trying to see under his mask, rather than getting more and more nervous as the minutes ticked by.

"Heh, heh," Naruto was chuckling in his appealing way, "This is almost as much fun as Ramen!"

Sasuke felt his mouth quirk in a half-smile, and he sipped his tea to hide it from his teammate. Kakashi had probably seen it, though, and he met Kakashi's eye, daring him to comment. His sensei's blue eye was sparkling.

"No, no," Iruka laughed, turning over a nicely browned slice of pork, "Ramen is infinitely better. But it can be good to change your routine, now and again."

He looked pointedly at Kakashi, and Sasuke didn't miss the curious exchange between them. He sipped his tea.

"Mmmm," Naruto said, "I'm just glad its _pork_. Miso-pork ramen, or pork yakiniku…" He put one of the cooked slices of pork into his mouth and chewed slowly, his eyes closed.

"I didn't know you liked pork that much," Kakashi commented.

Naruto swallowed and grinned, using his chopsticks to move the last of the meat around on the grill. "I pretend it's Ton-Ton!"

Iruka gaped at him, "_Naruto_!"

Kakashi didn't comment, and neither did Sasuke, though they were both smirking at the idea. Sasuke knew firsthand how Shizune treated Naruto, and it wouldn't surprise him if Kakashi was aware of the extreme animosity between the two of them. Naruto tried to look guilty, but his grin didn't quite make it work for him.

"What?" He asked Iruka defensively, "You can't expect me to like that _pig_, when Shizune is such a bit—_mnff_!"

Just in time, Sasuke clapped his hand over Naruto's mouth. There was no need to say it, especially in front of their sensei. Naruto was glaring at him, snorting his annoyance in hot puffs over the back of Sasuke's hand. He let the blond simmer for a moment, and then released him. Naruto scowled, but refrained from elaborating further on why he hated that particular kunoichi.

The door to the restaurant opened, and a large group of people came in, chattering socially and laughing together as they sat down. Sasuke eyed them over his shoulder, thankful for the corner booth that Iruka and Naruto had picked out. It was the most private one they could have acquired, but he didn't like how quickly business was picking up. This wasn't the first group to enter over the last twenty minutes.

Sasuke glanced at Kakashi, who nodded. Good. They would be leaving soon. He sipped his tea, watching Naruto and Iruka eating the last of their dinner, and silently urging them to hurry.

"Oh my," Iruka said, slumping back in the booth. "I couldn't eat another bite!" He tucked his hands behind his head, relaxing.

"Oh?" Kakashi smirked, "I bet there's room left–for _dessert_."

Kakashi's voice was so suggestive, Sasuke inhaled a bit of his tea and had to cough. He kept himself from looking at either of the sensei. He didn't want to know what he'd see.

"Jeez, Sasuke," Naruto piped up, "You haven't eaten much." He flipped the last pieces of meat on the grill before looking over to him, "Aren't you hungry?"

Sasuke felt his heart thud against his ribcage. He looked into those blue, blue eyes, and knew he'd die of starvation if he didn't get to taste the spice of that smiling mouth within the next two hours. Surely the fireworks wouldn't last longer than that? He shrugged, keeping his voice even, though he wasn't sure he could prevent his eyes from speaking what his voice left out.

"It's okay. I can always have a _snack _before bedtime."

He didn't look away, and Naruto's eyes widened, locking with his own until he heard chopsticks clatter against the tabletop. Sasuke reached for them, holding them out to his teammate, who laughed nervously as he took them back.

_Oh yes_—his stomach growled—he wouldn't be going to bed hungry. Not _this_ night.

"I think these are ready," Iruka said, reaching over the table to shift the tasty pork onto Naruto's plate, carefully keeping the red cords from the hot grill. Sasuke was relieved the teacher was acting oblivious; he'd known for a long time that Iruka's intelligent eyes didn't miss much. He sighed.

Maybe there were some things you just _couldn't _keep secret.

He sipped his tea, watching Naruto gobble up every bit that was left. The blond slumped back in the booth, his gloved hands resting on his satisfied belly, a smile on his face as he chewed the last bite. Sasuke looked back at Kakashi, who held his gaze a moment before clearing his throat.

"Well I guess we better get going before this place gets too crowded. I would like to humbly invite all of you to enjoy the fireworks from my rooftop—the view is spectacular from up there," Kakashi smiled, his eye crinkling into a crescent.

"How generous of you, Kakashi-san," Iruka smiled politely.

Naruto nodded his agreement, and Sasuke looked nervously back over his shoulder. There were more and more people entering the restaurant. He didn't care where they went from here–as long as he wasn't subjected to more whispers and stares.

Kakashi stood and the rest of them followed, Naruto lugging his bag of fireworks from under the table. Sasuke moved next to Iruka near the door, trying not to draw attention to himself in the noisier section of the restaurant while Kakashi settled the bill. He felt Naruto standing close behind his other shoulder, and his upper arm broke out in goose bumps.

Kakashi didn't keep them waiting long, and their group was heading to the door to leave when someone opened it suddenly on their way in. As the four of them politely stepped back out of the way, Sasuke realized that the pair entering weren't strangers. Not friends exactly—at least not _his_—but not strangers either.

Asuma was smoking as usual, though the bridge of his nose was flushed from the consumption of alcohol. He'd rolled packs of cigarettes up in the sleeves of his plain black Yukata, exposing his rock-hard biceps. Kurenai slinked in behind him, her Yukata matching her eyes and blinding everyone else's. Sasuke saw them give a cursory look over their group, and then double-take when they saw Kakashi.

"Oh! _There_ you are, Kakashi," Kurenai's happy greeting faltered when she realized the masked Jounin was part of the small group in the doorway. Her face flickered in confusion.

"Yo," Kakashi gave his little wave. Asuma grunted, puffing on his cigarette and eyeing their group with obvious arrogance.

"We were wondering why you weren't sitting with the rest of the Jounin," she said, resting her dainty hand on Asuma's muscled forearm, cocking an eyebrow to Kakashi in an unspoken question.

"Try as I might," Kakashi replied, indicating all of them with sweeping hands, "There's just not enough of me to go around!"

He chuckled, but somehow Sasuke didn't find it funny to be dismissed so quickly by the newcomers, and he felt Iruka stiffen beside him under the second pass of Asuma's sneer.

"Then it's good we caught you," Kurenai continued, facing Kakashi and ignoring the rest of them. "Genma is having a big party at his place later on–it's his birthday, so you have to come! Why don't you join us?"

"Yeah, we still owe you for last time," Asuma chided in his deep voice, cracking his knuckles and grinning.

"Sorry," Kakashi smiled disarmingly, rubbing his neck, "I've already made other plans."

"With these guys?" Asuma jerked a thumb in their direction, his face and tone carrying his disbelief and disapproval.

Sasuke felt his indignation seep from his skin in waves, only half surprised to feel a similar surge of power from Iruka. Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma turned as one to the source of the disturbance. Asuma looked curiously at Iruka, then locked eyes with Sasuke—he looked irritated when Sasuke didn't flinch.

Sasuke seethed on the inside. Was he seeing him? Or _Itachi_?

A strange part of him wanted Asuma to try something, even if the Jounin was a little drunk; Sasuke was enough on edge from lack of sleep and sexual tension that he knew he'd be able to take him. He _wanted_ it.

"Asuma," Kurenai said his name with a warning undertone, giving his forearm a tug to deter him from anything reckless.

"Tch, _Uchiha_," Asuma drawled, making it sound like a disease. Sasuke glared harder.

Kakashi took a quick step in front of Naruto, preventing him from moving towards the two Jounin, "Looks like this place sure is filling up quickly; I hope there are tables left."

Asuma was still glaring only at Sasuke, and though it didn't match his turbulent emotions, Sasuke shifted his body into its familiar and comfortable pose of bored superiority, seeking to get a rise from the Jounin. Asuma grimaced, the cigarette dangling from the edge of his lip, and he started to move forward.

Sasuke was pleased for making the other man move first. Kurenai's tugging on her boyfriend's arm held him back, but Sasuke was sure that if they hadn't had interference, Asuma would have fought him there and then. He was aware of Kakashi and Iruka, tense and alert on either side of him, though for opposite reasons.

Kurenai slithered against Asuma's back, moving her red lips up to his ear and whispering, "They're only _Chuunin_. Come on." She tugged on his elbow, drawing him towards the dining area, and he looked down at her as if just remembering he had company.

Apparently her cleavage was enough of a distraction; he smirked, puffing on his cigarette, turning his back on everyone else.

"See you around, Kakashi," he grunted, moving off to get a table.

Kurenai looked over her shoulder as she was led away, smiling briefly to Kakashi in what she probably thought was an apology, and Sasuke heard her feminine voice as they disappeared into the heart of the restaurant, "_That's quite enough Sake for you_…"

Naruto was fuming, "What the—"

"–Well well, we don't want to miss the fireworks! Let's go," Kakashi's voice was firm, and he steered everyone out the door.

Once outside, the three of them followed Kakashi as he led them towards his apartment. The streets were only half as full as before the speech, dappled with couples walking hand in hand and strolling lazily in the cool summer evening. If he hadn't been so annoyed, Sasuke might have appreciated the romance, with the lanterns setting a cozy mood over the village, and the busiest vendors selling expensive desserts. On every nearby bench were more couples, sitting close to feed each other and giggle.

Sasuke watched Iruka in front of him. The teacher was obviously unhappy about the encounter in the restaurant, although Kakashi was trying to act like it wasn't important. Sasuke was just as irritated, and so was Naruto; they exchanged a dark glance as they followed the sensei, the insults of the other Jounin still hot on their ears.

"I didn't realize your friends were so full of themselves, Kakashi." Iruka looked like he had many other ways to describe them.

"Well, Asuma's not usually like that," Kakashi said. "He had obviously been drinking."

"That's not a good excuse," Iruka argued, his right hand making a fist at his side.

"Yeah!" Naruto added his two cents. Sasuke just kept walking, wanting the evening to be over with. He thought about how Asuma had looked at him, how he sneered when he said his name: _Uchiha_.

_What_ had passed between him and Itachi?

Sasuke felt someone staring again, and he turned quickly, armed with a glare, but was relieved that it was only Naruto—although Naruto was watching him with a gaze that, for _him_, was oddly calculating. Sasuke felt his glare disappear, watching a smile begin to spread across Naruto's face. The blond looked ahead, craning his neck and searching for something further up.

Suddenly Naruto shoved his bag of explosives into Sasuke's arms, and Sasuke watched dumbfounded as Naruto slipped between their sensei and darted ahead, moving to a vendor's stand and pointing to something on the menu. He grinned at the stand owner, and nodded, skipping back past the curious stares of Kakashi and Iruka, and sidling up beside Sasuke.

"Here," he said, splitting the double-Popsicle in half and holding one side out to him.

Sasuke felt his heart grow warm, gripping the bag with one arm and reaching out to take the frozen gift with careful fingers. Naruto was already enjoying his, keeping the melting juice from running onto his glove with an active tongue. Sasuke sighed. This was _exactly_ what he loved about Naruto—he was always thinking of others, and trying to make things better.

"Tch, idiot," he said, giving in and tasting the cool, lemony treat in his hands.

Naruto knew he meant it affectionately, grinning broadly and laughing. _Damn _he was sexy when eating a Popsicle. Watching the process with keen black eyes, Sasuke felt his mood brighten.

It was good to be reminded that there were things to look forward to.

* * *

--

* * *

"_WHOA_!" Naruto shouted, looking up into the sky which had exploded in a particularly lively burst of color.

Sasuke readjusted his position on the roof tiles, bracing his feet against the slant and holding his sparkler where it wouldn't burn anyone. Naruto was holding two in each hand, waving them periodically and watching the fireworks display with uninhibited glee. Iruka and Kakashi were seated not too far away, also looking up into the sky and holding sparklers.

Sasuke was finally able to relax somewhat. Here, high above the village, there was no one to stare or whisper, or mistake him for his infamous brother.

There were other clusters of shinobi scattered on rooftops all over the village, but they were too far away to make the night miserable. He felt almost _safe_, here on Kakashi's roof where he could simply enjoy the company of good friends, and forget the annoyances of the day. The last forty minutes had been just about perfect.

But there he was, his rival, sitting both too close to him and much too far away.

Sasuke was hard pressed to watch the fireworks themselves, and not the ever-changing expressions of delight shifting on Naruto's face in a display all their own. The colors in the sky reflected on his skin, and Sasuke thought he could watch it for hours and hours, completely content. Although he also had an insane urge to _kiss_ the spots of color, to chase them over his skin with his tongue like a cat chasing a prism rainbow with its paw.

He licked his lips, and closed his fingers more tightly around his sparkler. He had to control himself. Just for a little bit more.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto leaned back to look over at their sensei, "Are there any sparklers left?"

"Of course," Kakashi called, passing some to Iruka, who reached over to pass them to Sasuke.

Sasuke felt rather awkward when he made eye-contact with the teacher. If he'd been wondering before, that flicker in Iruka's eyes confirmed that the teacher was fully aware of the attraction between him and Naruto. It made him worry whether Iruka had also guessed that Sasuke knew about him and Kakashi.

He took the sparklers and turned back to Naruto—one thing to worry about at a time.

"Man, this is great!" Naruto grinned, taking the whole bundle and lighting them with the one of his four that hadn't burned out. He singled out a sparkling golden one and passed it back.

"Here. Yours went out," he gestured at the charred wire Sasuke still held in his hand. Sasuke looked at it in dismay.

Naruto laughed, "Here. Take it."

Sasuke put the used sparkler into the pile with the others, and took the golden one. Naruto watched him for a moment or two, then reached out and smoothed a few locks of his black hair back away from his face.

"It's a good thing I've got extras," he laughed, waving his large bundle of sparklers and spraying multicolored bits of light all over the two of them. Sasuke rolled his eyes, holding a hand up to shield himself as well as the smirk on his lips, and was sincerely relieved that Naruto's sack of explosives was waiting safely downstairs.

"Oh my gosh, it's the finale!" Iruka exclaimed as the sky flashed chaotically overhead in hundreds of bright bursts. The air was filled with deep rumbling blasts as the fireworks shot high above them, to crack and spread overlapping tentacles in a canopy of dazzling light.

The four of them were mesmerized, impressed by the climactic timing of the colors and types of explosives, orchestrated in a performance more grandiose than they'd ever seen before. Sasuke found himself wondering absurdly if that idiot salesman had been part of it, but put it from his mind. Regardless, it was more spectacular than any show he could remember, and he felt deeply moved when the last explosions created an enormous green leaf–the symbol of Konoha hovering protectively over her people.

As the leaf faded, Sasuke could hear the soft echoes of the thousands of cheers that erupted all over the village. It contrasted with the silence that crept over the four of them now that the evening was drawing to a close.

Sasuke felt his palms break out in sweat.

"Well!" Kakashi said, rising slowly from his spot on the roof and stretching lazily. "This was a very fun night."

"Yes," Iruka agreed, standing. Sasuke stood up as well, trying not to show how nervous he was, and felt even more anxious that he was probably failing.

"Er… where should I put these?" Naruto was holding out his fist-full of used sparklers. Sasuke looked down at the pile they'd made.

"I'll take them," Iruka-sensei said, moving carefully along the tiles. He held his hand out and Naruto dutifully passed him the wires, cool ends first.

Iruka continued, his voice a bit more jittery, "Er…why don't you boys—er, _guys_—go on home? It's late… and I can help Kakashi-sensei clean up out here, since he was so gracious to host us."

Sasuke was surprised by Iruka's aid; it was just the kind of thing he'd been hoping for so that he and Naruto could leave together. Then again, maybe Iruka had his own plans for the night–Sasuke could see Kakashi grinning lewdly under his mask.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto grinned, running a hand through his blond hair and moving down to the edge of the roof. "See you later!"

"Thank you," Sasuke nodded at the sensei, exchanging a long look with first Iruka, then Kakashi. Feeling very, _very _uncomfortable, he followed his teammate over the roof's edge and onto the little hallway in front of Kakashi's door.

Naruto was there, tying a more secure knot in the top of his Kukaku's bag, and heaving it over his shoulder. They stood there, looking at each other, awkward in the silence.

"Sasuke…" Naruto began, but no other words came out.

Sasuke took a deep breath. Sometime during the fireworks, he'd had an idea. Far from his usual complicated stratagems, he hoped that the inherent simplicity meant it might _actually work_.

"Come on." He turned and walked a couple of steps down the outside hall, "I'll walk you home."

Sasuke kept walking, deliberately unhurried, not looking back. Naruto would either follow him, or let him walk away. The choice was his.

By the time he reached the stairs, Naruto had caught up; Sasuke sighed with relief.

They walked at a normal pace through the streets towards Naruto's neighborhood, leaving a gap between them so they wouldn't look suspicious. Sasuke wanted to run, to cover the distance as fast as he could, but he didn't want to seem overly eager. He remembered well what had happened when he'd surprised his teammate the last time—he knew better than to make any sudden moves.

There weren't many people still out; most everyone had gone home for the night. Here and there the lanterns had either burned out or been snuffed by the wind, which left strange glowing pockets of light in no pattern at all. They wouldn't have needed the lanterns anyhow since the full moon was shining high in the sky, casting a silvery glow on every surface. Naruto's face was calm, but Sasuke noticed his knuckles were white where he held onto his bundle of loot.

Naruto stopped when they reached his building. "Well… er, this is my building."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow, "I know, moron." Naruto blinked at him, so he held out his hand, gesturing for him to go on up the steps.

"Heh, heh," Naruto chuckled nervously, "Of course you do." He turned and moved up the steps, and Sasuke followed behind him.

Two flights, three flights, four flights… Sasuke's heart was beating fast, more from nervous energy than from the light exercise. _'Good lord, why did Naruto have to live on the sixth floor?'_ Each step got him closer to his goal, but each step got harder and harder to take, stretching the tension between them like yesterday's shuriken lines. At least there was only one neighbor on the floor to worry about.

Finally, they made it to the top; reflected light from the remains of the festival was enough to see where they were going. Naruto moved over to his door, setting his bag down and running a hand through his blond hair. Sasuke checked for signs of activity from behind the neighbor's door, then joined him; standing close, but not too close in the darkened hallway.

"That was really fun, the festival," Naruto said, smiling, but not quite meeting his eyes.

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed, watching him closely.

It wasn't that Naruto was cute, it was what he was _doing_ that was so cute—so nervous, shifting his feet. But Naruto was so much more than cute; he was breathtakingly attractive. So much energy, so much wildness…

Sasuke reached out and touched his blond hair, running it through his fingers at the temple where it wasn't spiked with gel. Naruto looked at him then, face strong—Sasuke saw his own anticipation reflected back to him. He felt his belly tighten with desire, churning slowly in waves throughout the rest of him.

"Yanno… Sasuke…" Naruto's voice was breathy, hesitant.

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Hmm?"

For a moment nothing happened. Naruto just looked at him, searching his face for some kind of sign, the vein in his neck palpitating furiously. Sasuke stopped his fingers in mid-stroke through the blond hair–was it bothering him? Then Naruto stepped forward.

Sasuke felt a gloved hand rest on his shoulder, sliding a bit awkwardly behind his neck as those blue eyes stared into his own. He was intensely aware of Naruto's body, now so close, and then his entire back erupted in goose bumps as Naruto's fingers dug into in the hair on his neck. Sasuke's heart leaped up into his throat, and Naruto had just enough time to lean in and murmur "_Goodnight_" before Sasuke snapped.

He bent forward and pressed his lips to Naruto's. Naruto made a noise of surprise that caught behind their entwined mouths, and Sasuke blinked looking into his eyes, which were still wide open.

He wrapped his arms around Naruto's back, pulling him closer lest he panic and try to hit him again. But he needn't have worried—Naruto's eyes closed as he relaxed into his hold, and Sasuke made his own noise of pleasure when more fingers moved to his neck and wound tighter into his hair, trying to pull him even closer in a two-handed grip.

Sasuke closed his eyes, his heart thudding wildly. Naruto's lips felt even better than he imagined, and much, _much_ better than he remembered. They were just the right amount of firm and supple, eager and yielding underneath his own. He pulled back to take a breath and then kissed him again—once would never, ever be enough.

Naruto was trying to step forward, like he thought there was still too much space between them even though they were pressed together in a tight line. But Sasuke agreed with the sentiment, moving them the other way until Naruto bumped into his door, leaning into him as they kissed.

Naruto's fingers moved on his neck, sending sparks of pleasure over his skin. Sasuke slid one hand further down Naruto's back, passing over the textured surface of the phoenix to rest at the inward curve of his spine, holding him securely and using his lips and teeth to nibble the blond's mouth in fevered kisses.

Naruto growled, nibbling back and making more goose bumps break out on Sasuke's neck and chest. Sasuke felt Naruto's hips press forward against him, and he groaned, crushing their lips together in almost painful need. Naruto's lips opened and Sasuke felt lightheaded at the rush of sensations when his tongue slid past and into Naruto's mouth.

He thought his knees might buckle.

He would definitely have done this long ago if he knew how oddly sensual and wildly arousing it would be to kiss Naruto like this. Naruto obviously agreed—his tongue and lips were kissing back with typical fierceness, and Sasuke was a little alarmed that _he_ might actually be the one devoured. His senses reeled, and before either of them passed out, he pulled back for a moment to catch his breath.

Naruto was panting, his cheeks flushed. Sasuke kept his arm at the back of his waist, moving his other hand above Naruto's shoulder to brace himself on the door, breathing just as hard as Naruto from the rush of hormones. They looked at each other, panting, ravenous, equal in their desires. And then his teammate grinned.

"Oi," Naruto chuckled, his voice low and teasing. "Tired already?"

Sasuke ate the chuckle right off his lips, making Naruto gasp from the intensity and grab onto his shoulders. Sasuke growled, a deep noise from way down inside him, showing Naruto just who he was dealing with. He pressed his hips forward, roughly grinding Naruto into his own door.

Naruto _loved_ it.

The blond kept up with him, drinking down every kiss, nibble and lick and offering more, spiced with the fighting spirit he was known for. He moved as far as Sasuke let him, trying to inch his hips and thighs away from the door and closer to his teammate, a mad effort to defy physics. Sasuke curled his fingers around Naruto's neck, tilting his head back and gaining deeper access to his mouth, his brain nearly bursting from all the new information pouring in for him to process.

Naruto's hands moved around his back, making fists in the fabric of the Yukata even as he groaned beneath Sasuke's hot kisses. Sasuke pressed every inch of himself against his teammate, and even through all the layers of fabric, Sasuke could tell that Naruto was hard—rigid, _throbbing_ hard. The thrill of the knowledge made him shudder, and he kissed Naruto until he had his teammate squirming as much as he was.

Sasuke eased up when Naruto tried for the second time to say something, the words and noises getting lost in the exchange of lips and tongue. He held Naruto's lips with his own for a long moment, quieting down the lust coursing through his body enough to process speech, and then released the kiss with a soft smacking noise that he'd never known existed. He shivered with pleasure.

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment, breathing hard, and then moved his hand to the doorknob. His cheeks darkened, and Sasuke held his breath, his heartbeat thudding loudly in his chest.

"Do you wanna—" Naruto jerked his head back towards the door.

"_Oh god yes_," Sasuke answered immediately, taking his mouth in another kiss.

Naruto groaned, and Sasuke heard the doorknob click as his tongue found Naruto's for another round of heavy kissing. Naruto twisted his free hand in the front of Sasuke's Yukata, and pulled him forward until they stumbled into the pitch-black apartment. Sasuke closed the door behind them just as Naruto pressed him up against it, refitting their bodies together in a tantalizingly sweet position.

Lord! If this was a bedtime snack, he might not survive a four-course meal…

* * *

[to be continued...]


	9. Chapter 9

**

* * *

**

**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 9:

* * *

"Er…why don't you boys—er, _guys_—go on home? It's late… and I can help Kakashi-sensei clean up out here since he was so gracious to host us."

Iruka's voice was a little jittery at the awkward silence that had crept over them once the fireworks had ended, and Kakashi's mouth slipped into a lewd grin as he watched. He wanted to cluck his tongue—hadn't Iruka said they shouldn't _meddle_?

That was a set-up if he'd ever heard one.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto grinned back at them, scurrying to the edge of the roof. "See you later!"

Kakashi grinned wider—Naruto sure couldn't get away fast enough. How adorably eager of him. Kakashi looked at the last of them, Uchiha Sasuke. He was practically trembling from both anxiety and excitement.

"Thank you," was all he said, exchanging a long look with Iruka, and then meeting his eye for another long moment. It made Kakashi want to go pat him on the back—he looked like he could use a pep talk. But he knew Sasuke well; this student would complete his "mission" no matter what it took. Sasuke turned and followed Naruto over the side.

Iruka stood still on the roof tiles, eyebrows drawn into the center of his forehead, watching where the students had disappeared and fretting. Kakashi waited for the student's presence to descend to street level, and then sneaked to the low edge of the roof, crouching down. Below, he could see Sasuke and Naruto walking away down the street, far enough apart for it to look suspicious. He chuckled in amusement.

"What? What's happening?" Iruka whispered, rushing down the tiles and crouching quietly next to him. He peered over the side, still clutching Naruto's used sparklers.

Kakashi chuckled again, teasing the Chuunin, "Oh dear, the little chicks have left the nest…"

Iruka swatted at him, "It's not funny, Kakashi!"

"But it is!" Kakashi laughed, holding up a hand to protect himself. "Anyways, it's up to them now. I think they'll be okay."

"Yeah…" Iruka was only half listening, still watching their tiny forms as they walked farther and farther away.

Kakashi smiled, rather touched by his lover's concern for their students, even though there was nothing to worry about. It was something he loved about Iruka, even when it was maddening—he truly cared about and looked after others. He was one of the least selfish shinobi in the whole village of Konoha. Kakashi stood up.

"Then again," he said, pausing so that Iruka would look up at him, "Maybe this calls for a… _teacher's conference_." He made sure Iruka knew what he really meant.

Iruka bit his bottom lip, and then smiled, his lips curving upward in mischief. "That sounds like a good idea, Kakashi-sensei. Students like those two certainly require some _collaboration_."

Wasting no time, Kakashi quickly flipped himself over the ledge, landing in front of his door. He opened it and went inside, flicking on the light switch just as Iruka landed in the doorway. He moved into the room and out of the way, and Iruka firmly closed the door and leaned back into it with a sigh of relief.

Kakashi's heart began to thud; they were finally alone!

In two steps he'd closed the distance, sinking his gloved hands into Iruka's thick brown hair while the Chuunin scrambled with shaking fingers to pull his mask down. He leaned forward, pinning Iruka against the door as they were finally allowed to taste each other after nearly two whole days of sexual starvation.

Iruka's hands held his head firmly, pulling him as close as possible and reaching his long tongue deep into his mouth. Kakashi moaned, sliding a hand down Iruka's back and grabbing onto his round buttocks. _God_ he loved this teacher.

"Mmmm," Iruka moaned urgently, thrusting his hips forward and trying to push away from the door.

Kakashi groaned, moving his other hand down to join the first, squeezing and fitting their hips together. Iruka reached frantic hands behind him to untie his Obi, and suddenly let out a yelp. Kakashi pulled back from Iruka's lips, panting, and searched his face to see what was wrong.

Iruka grimaced, bringing his hand around to show them both a bleeding index finger. "That hurt!"

_Damn_. He'd forgotten about the hidden needles.

"What possessed you to hide something back _there_?" Iruka's voice was angry, but Kakashi knew he was only annoyed at himself for not anticipating the location of the weapons. Iruka lifted the finger to his mouth, but Kakashi quickly grabbed his corded wrist and cleaned off the blood with a fast swipe of his tongue.

"I should have warned you," he apologized, putting the finger into his mouth and sucking it suggestively.

Iruka's grimace changed into yearning; Kakashi knew well how much Iruka liked his fingers sucked, and what usually followed when he did it to him. His stomach fluttered while showing Iruka with his tongue what he wanted to do with _other_ parts of him.

Iruka bit his lip, moving his uninjured hand to Kakashi's hip and making a fist in the silk of the Yukata. Iruka pulled Kakashi towards him, and rolled his hips in a wordless demand. Kakashi's stomach fluttered more insistently. With one last lick he returned Iruka's finger to him, claiming his mouth instead with equal suggestiveness.

Kakashi carefully ran his palms over Iruka's Obi, starting at his firm stomach and curving around to his back. Just as he thought. He undid the knot, careful not to spill the two rows of miniature shuriken from the folds as he let go of the sash. The sash chimed with muted _plinking_ sounds as it hit the floor, and the Yukata shifted partway open.

Kakashi slowly kissed Iruka's mouth, sliding his gloved hands inside the Yukata fabric and running them up Iruka's chest. Iruka shivered, biting Kakashi's lip; evidently he enjoyed the feeling of the gloves on his skin, and Kakashi tucked the information away for future reference, filed securely in his database devoted to Iruka's preferences.

Iruka moved his hands up to Kakashi's shoulders, curling tightly at the folded edges of his Yukata and pulling him close as they kissed, and then abruptly pushed him back. Iruka looked into his eye. The Chuunin's face was flushed with passion, and his eyes were shining with lust—Kakashi was thrilled to see Iruka was as ready for a marathon as he was.

"'Kashi…" Iruka murmured, his voice breathy. "_Hurry_!"

Kakashi's breath lodged in his throat when Iruka lifted his forearm to stroke the red ridge of silken cords along his jaw and cheek, trailing the ends against his exposed neck. Kakashi's skin blossomed with goose flesh at the touch of the cords, and his stomach dropped in nearly painful arousal.

His erection felt uncomfortably constricted by layers of clothing, but his priority right now was to obey the breathtaking man in front of him. What a delicious surprise it had been to discover that Iruka—Umino Iruka!—was just as experimental in bed as he was. Sex with him was far better than he'd ever fantasized it could be with another man, and the first thing Kakashi wanted to do was take the edge off of Iruka's hunger.

It meant more pleasure for them both in the long run.

He pushed Iruka's Yukata open and nibbled the Chuunin's neck, tasting his skin from below his ear to where his shoulder began. Iruka sighed, letting Kakashi shift the fabric off his muscular shoulders to fall in a soft heap on the floor. Kakashi trailed kisses down across his collarbone to the planes of muscles on his chest and torso, stroking Iruka's back with his strong, gloved fingers all the while.

Iruka leaned his shoulders into the door, closing his eyes and giving himself over to the sensations moving down his body, stepping out of his sandals and kicking them to the side. Kakashi massaged down the inward curve of his spine, licking over his lover's tight abs and looking up his tanned body with his one blue eye as he knelt down on his knees in front of him.

God he loved to see Iruka like this, eyes closed, breath erratic, tense with anticipation and arousal–

Kakashi dug his hands into the waistband of his briefs and shoved them down his legs, freeing Iruka's hard cock from its prison. Iruka opened his eyes and looked down at him, stepping out of the underwear and fixing him with a look heavy with need. Iruka's brown eyes pleaded, '_Hurry… so I can fuck you senseless_…'

Kakashi ran his tongue underneath Iruka's shaft to the glistening tip, sliding his lips over just the head and sucking. Iruka gasped, closing his eyes and bracing himself against the door more securely. Kakashi shifted his position on the floor, the Yukata's swirling Koi fanning out around his knees. Holding the back of Iruka's thigh, he took the rest of his length into his mouth, increasing the amount of suction as it slid down the back of his throat. Iruka moaned, and Kakashi reversed directions, slowly coating him with saliva and coming up for air.

Repeating the process, he used his other hand to massage Iruka's balls. Iruka whimpered, flexing his thighs and trying to thrust into Kakashi's mouth, but Kakashi kept him from taking over–he'd do this quickly, but not _that_ quick.

He moved off of him, playing his tongue around the head, "Iruka-sensei…"

Iruka's voice was breathy with sexual tension, "What?"

"Are you going to instruct me on the proper use of those cords?" He teased Iruka with his voice as well as lips and hands.

Iruka growled, baring his teeth in a coy grin, "I've already drawn up a lesson-plan. But first you should stop _talking_."

Kakashi felt satisfaction ripple through him. He would have wiggled with glee, but his boyfriend was right. This wasn't the time for talking. He swallowed Iruka's erection back down his throat, and focused on doing the things he knew Iruka enjoyed.

Kakashi's scalp exploded in tingles when he felt Iruka's fingers twist into his hair. The red cords dangled against his ears and his neck, and he shuddered from the erotic association. He picked up the pace, coordinating his mouth and hands on Iruka's groin in a way that had his lover squirming and gasping against the door.

Iruka's cock was so hard and so smooth at the same time; Kakashi loved everything about it. He loved the feel of it against the roof of his mouth, he loved that he could swallow it down his throat with near-ease, and he loved that Iruka let him do this any time he wanted. He also loved that Iruka was as good, if not _better_ than he was at giving head, even though Kakashi was his first serious lover—whoever said teachers make the worst students obviously had never met _this_ one.

Kakashi groaned around the hard shaft in his mouth. This was _goooooood_. But his favorite thing was when this cock was buried inside him, thrusting against his prostate in unexplainable pleasure.

Iruka was the only one he would ever allow to do _that_.

He used these thoughts to feed his activities, concentrating on bringing the Chuunin's arousal to a peak, and monitoring the signs that indicated when he was close to the edge. When Iruka was almost there, he slowed everything down, maintaining the level of pleasure indefinitely. Iruka broke out in sweat, biting his bottom lip and gripping Kakashi's silver hair tighter and tighter, while the Jounin just watched him, waiting for him to snap.

Iruka's control was always impressive—that's what made him such an amazing lover. But it was also impressive when that control broke. Kakashi _wanted _it to falter, and after two days apart, it wouldn't take much. He tasted _so good_ that way.

Iruka soon cried out from the near-torture of Kakashi's manipulation, and his chakra began to leak from his skin in palpable, invisible waves. The Chuunin opened his eyes, his expression a snarl of Pure Lust that demanded immediate release, the steady, faintly tingling wave of chakra spreading down his cock right to the quivering tip. Kakashi's gut clenched with similar need, tasting the spicy electricity of the chakra as it rippled over his tongue—he wasted no more time, shoving Iruka over that cliff and catching the delectable explosion of his orgasm in the back of his mouth.

Iruka's muscles quivered as he came, his hips jerking forward again and again. Kakashi held onto his thighs with both hands, letting Iruka move how he liked until the urgency was over and he slumped back against the door to rest. With a last lick, Kakashi withdrew his lips and looked up the handsome body of his lover, seeing satisfaction show in every part of him. Iruka's breaths were shaky, gasping from the rush with a sexy smile twitching the corner of his mouth.

Kakashi was breathing hard too, licking his lips and grinning from ear to ear, feeling Iruka's fingers gently unwind from the tangles of his hair. Iruka sighed, and slowly slid down the door, sprawling on the heap of his Yukata with one knee bent. He looked into Kakashi's eye and chuckled. Now they could really have some fun!

"So, Iruka-_sensei_," Kakashi smirked, "Was that enough for an hors d'oeuvre? Or are you still hungry?"

"Hn," Iruka crawled forward, touching only lips to lips, sliding his tongue into Kakashi's mouth to taste the lingering flavors of himself in a slow, sensual kiss. He pulled back, and Kakashi's cheeks flushed with—as of yet—unquenched desire.

"Now that I've enjoyed your hospitality, Kakashi-_sensei_ …" Iruka chuckled, beginning to untie the scarlet knots at his left wrist. Kakashi knew Iruka was watching him, transfixed by his fingers working deftly and provocatively, and Iruka's voice lowered to a suggestive timbre.

"Might I return the favor by teaching you something _new_?"

Kakashi shuddered, getting up on suddenly wobbly knees. "Please allow me to show you to my _classroom_…"

* * *

--

* * *

Naruto had never noticed how painfully the heart could beat.

He was intensely aware of Sasuke's presence in the darkened hallway outside his apartment, and knew that there would be no better chance than this to finally—finally!—do _something_ that would ease the tension. He set down his bag of explosives, heart beating wildly behind his ribcage, and ran a nervous hand through his hair as Sasuke came towards him.

Sasuke looked perfectly calm, and it annoyed Naruto that he wasn't more _nervous_ about being here at his apartment, late at night and un-chaperoned. It's not like they could really pretend it was normal for Sasuke to walk him _all the way to the door_.

Naruto shifted his feet, needing to break up the silence somehow.

"That was really fun… the festival…" he tried to meet Sasuke's dark eyes, but the look in them made him glance down at the floor. Oh man—how could one guy be so utterly gorgeous like that? Naruto smiled, for no reason that he could name.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied.

Naruto could feel his rival watching him, and it made him shift his feet again, trying desperately to think of something else to say. But then Sasuke was touching his hair, right at his temple, right above his ear, and he couldn't help himself—he had to look at him, had to see if Sasuke was thinking the same things he was thinking.

His rival was as breathtaking as usual, standing close, but not too close in the quiet hall. Naruto really wanted to move towards him, to touch him back, but was a little distracted by the wonderful feeling of Sasuke's fingers in his hair—there were goose bumps spreading all down his neck.

"Yanno…Sasuke…" he spoke, about to ask for a goodnight kiss, but then hesitated, feeling ridiculous—_maybe he should just do it_?

"Hmm?" Sasuke said, and Naruto held his breath.

He searched Sasuke's face for anything that might tell him not to step forward; his heart thudded more and more painfully from trying to find the courage to step forward anyways. Sasuke's eyes narrowed a fraction, and Naruto felt the fingers stop moving, pausing awkwardly halfway in and halfway out of his hair.

'_Don't stop_!' Naruto thought frantically, taking a step forward in rising panic. His stomach dropped—oh God! Now that he'd started, he had to keep going. Sasuke stood there, warm and solid in the cool air of the night, and Naruto reached up to touch his shoulder. He tried not to shake.

He'd just move in, say goodnight, kiss him, and run into his apartment and go to sleep. That's what he'd do.

Naruto slid his hand to the back of Sasuke's neck, grateful that his fingertips were bare so he could feel his smooth black hair. He took a deep breath, leaning in and murmuring "_Goodnight_" when all of a sudden Sasuke was kissing him.

SASUKE WAS KISSING HIM!

He made a noise of surprise when it registered–it had happened so fast–and he blinked at the awkward closeness of Sasuke's dark eyes looking back at him.

Then Sasuke's arms were around his back, pulling him close, and Naruto let himself relax into it, sincerely relieved that he hadn't been pushed away. Naruto closed his eyes, reaching his other hand into Sasuke's black hair in an effort to pull him even closer, and tried to memorize the feel of their lips touching in their first, real kiss.

His stomach flipped with desire when he heard Sasuke make a noise of pleasure; he hadn't known Uchihas could make noises like _that_. It made him want to find out what other noises he could get this Uchiha to make, and his stomach flipped again in excitement.

Sasuke was kissing him a second time, fitting their lips like he'd always known how, and Naruto could only marvel at how much better this was than he'd ever remembered, or even fantasized… Sasuke was usually either irritated or smirking in that superior way, so his lips looked thin, if you had nothing to compare it to.

But Naruto knew now that they weren't, not really. They felt wonderful—the bottom one more luscious and full than the top, although both held the promise of many, many pleasurable things to experience in many different places. He never wanted it to stop!

With each second they kissed Naruto only wanted more, and he tried to move forward, to move closer even though he was touching his teammate almost everywhere possible. Sasuke held him tighter, moving him backwards instead until Naruto felt his shoulders bump into his apartment door. He relished the feeling of being caught between it and the firm, muscular body of his teammate.

Naruto twisted his fingers further into Sasuke's silky black hair, and stroked his head and neck; he'd always wanted to do this, and he hoped Sasuke was enjoying it too. Sasuke's hand slid down his spine, stopping at that sensitive inward curve and pulling their bodies tighter together—it felt so _goooooood_.

Sasuke began to nibble his mouth, and Naruto shivered from the shower of alternating bites and kisses. A growl rumbled up from the back of his throat, and Naruto nibbled his rival back, unashamed and with equal passion. Using the door for leverage, Naruto thrust his hips forward, and nearly cried out from the force of Sasuke's answering kiss. It was painful with need, crushing into him, and Naruto automatically opened his mouth before they seriously injured each other.

All higher mental functions ceased at the feel of Sasuke's tongue sliding past his lips to taste him from the inside. It was a rush of sensation that he couldn't have been prepared for, and he was grateful that he had the door to keep him on his feet, for he probably would have collapsed then and there from the tidal wave of arousal.

_Dear god_–how could there be something this good?

Naruto couldn't get enough; he kissed Sasuke back with all the fierceness he could muster, wishing fervently that they had done this long ago. He just knew that he couldn't let this be the only time they kissed this way. It would have to be a _rule_ or something—mandatory from now on for being teammates.

Before _and_ after missions, at the very least.

Sasuke shuddered like his knees might buckle, and Naruto grew even hotter at the sight of his rival's obvious arousal when he suddenly pulled back, panting and bracing himself on the door with one hand. Naruto panted too, meeting Sasuke's black eyes and feeling a thrill in his groin at the sensual weight they held. He was so damn sexy, especially now–flushed with desire and breathing hard like they'd been sparring.

"Oi," Naruto chuckled, his voice low and teasing, "Tired already?"

He knew he'd get a reaction, and barely had time to be pleased before Sasuke attacked him with mouth and tongue in his signature single-minded focus. Naruto gasped—_this_ was the intensity of Uchiha Sasuke, and the hairs on every part of his body stood on end when he heard Sasuke growl in a completely primal, completely sexual way.

He managed to grip Sasuke's shoulders, fighting to stay on his feet, when Sasuke thrust his hips forward. Naruto could barely stand it, the agonizing pleasure of Sasuke grinding him into his own door. He responded with his own fearsome spirit, kissing Sasuke back with the same passionate intensity, and trying to thrust away from the door, arching his back to somehow get closer than they already were.

Sasuke's hand was on his neck, tilting his head back and Naruto felt his senses swim from the added depth of their kissing. He managed to hang on for dear life, making fists at the back of Sasuke's Yukata, and he groaned from the desire that churned in his abdomen. Sasuke's thrusting was only making things worse; Naruto had been hard from the beginning, and feeling Sasuke's impressively solid—and big!—erection rubbing against him was almost more than he could take.

They had to get out of this hallway, _right now_.

He tried to say so, but Sasuke was too busy making him squirm with pleasure to notice. He tried again, and almost reconsidered having to stop their kissing to continue with anything else, since a lot of him didn't want to be interrupted, but Sasuke must have realized he wanted to say something since he eased up a bit, and after a moment Naruto found that he could think again.

Sasuke held his mouth in a very sensual kiss, letting them both calm down before releasing his lips with a soft noise. Naruto watched his teammate shiver, and then he closed his eyes for a moment, willing his heartbeat to stop deafening him with its agitated rhythm. He reached for his doorknob, looking at Sasuke, and feeling his cheeks fill with color. Sasuke was breathing hard, watching him expectantly. He swallowed.

"Do you wanna—" Naruto jerked his head back towards the door.

"_Oh god yes_," Sasuke answered immediately, surprising him by taking his mouth in another kiss.

Naruto opened up to him eagerly, twisting the doorknob until it clicked. He grabbed the front of Sasuke's Yukata, not caring if he wrinkled it, and pulled him into his apartment. They stumbled into the darkness and Naruto felt the whoosh of air as Sasuke closed the door behind them. He pushed Sasuke back until he'd trapped him against it, leaning into him as they kissed and realigning their hard erections.

Sasuke actually groaned, and Naruto shuddered with desire as he in turn tried to eat his teammate from the inside. Sasuke's hands were moving on his arms, his shoulders, slipping underneath the coat of flames and pushing it off. Naruto helped, shrugging out of it and tossing it somewhere out of the way. His only thoughts were on eliminating all layers of fabric between them.

He started to reach for Sasuke's Obi, when he felt his rival's mouth make its way across his whiskered cheek to nibble his earlobe. Naruto froze from the goose bumps that exploded over his skin, and when Sasuke's warm, wet tongue licked the ridges of his ear his knees buckled altogether.

Sasuke half-caught him before he fell, but they both slowly slid down the door into a tangle on the floor. Naruto could hear Sasuke chuckling. His lips were close to where his tongue had just been, and the feel of his warm breath made Naruto shiver against him.

"I guess you liked that, didn't you," he teased.

Naruto rubbed his cheek against Sasuke's, challenging, "So do it again, then. _Bastard_."

Sasuke did. Naruto thought he might die from it.

Once the haze in his brain cleared, Naruto moved frantic hands to Sasuke's Yukata. He wanted so badly to touch him, to feel everything that was hidden underneath the silk fabric, and tried unsuccessfully to undo the knot of the sash. He gritted his teeth, feeling the parts of the knot and trying to make sense of it while knowing that it was completely beyond his ability to concentrate if Sasuke was doing things like _that_ to his ear.

Naruto shivered, biting his bottom lip to keep himself from whimpering in either arousal or frustration. He grabbed on either side of the knot and resorted to brute strength, pulling hard and only making the knot tighter. It was the frustration that drove him to complain.

"Gah, who the hell tied this?" he muttered, tugging and yanking ineffectively.

"Tch," Sasuke moved his hands back to the knot, shifting Naruto's aside to feel for himself.

Naruto heard the separate clicks of the fan and the pencil case being set on the floor next to them, and then Sasuke reached for something underneath the puddle of folds around their legs. Naruto could hear the metallic noise of a kunai being drawn, and then he heard the quick sound of taut fabric being sliced.

"_Haaaah_? You actually have weapons under there?" Naruto said, incredulous. Where the hell had he hidden a kunai?

"Tch, don't you?" Sasuke returned the question, implying that it was obvious to be armed even when dressed for a festival. Naruto's cheeks flushed. It hadn't even occurred to him to carry weapons.

He felt more than saw Sasuke toss the sash aside, since they were still tangled up on the floor, although his blue eyes were starting to get used to the darkness. He could almost make out the difference between the black of the shadows, and the deeper black of Sasuke's hair.

Naruto humphed, "Whatever. I don't need any weapons."

"Hn," Sasuke said, choosing to kiss him instead of argue, and untying Naruto's blue Obi with total ease. Annoyed, Naruto growled as he kissed him back while reaching to Sasuke's shoulders to push off his Yukata.

At least both of them agreed they should be rid of their clothing as quickly as humanly possible.

Sasuke let go long enough to shrug out of the white fabric, letting it fall to the floor around them in a soft rustle, and then Naruto felt Sasuke's hands on his chest. They were warm, moving underneath the fabric to finally touch his bare skin. His rival thrust the front of his Yukata open, and slid strong hands up to his shoulders, slipping the fabric over them and baring most of Naruto's torso.

Half of Naruto was aware of Sasuke removing his Yukata while they kissed, though it could only go so far while Naruto was reaching his busy hands underneath Sasuke's mesh shirt. Naruto's Yukata caught around his elbows, stretching across the back of his shoulder blades, and he was aware of Sasuke's hands moving to the gloves covering his forearms instead. His quick fingers moved along the buckles and started to pick at them.

Naruto slid the mesh shirt up Sasuke's athletic body, running his fingertips over every curve and indentation of his lean muscles, when this time it was Sasuke who broke off their kiss in frustration.

"Tch, how the hell did you get these _on_?" Sasuke grumbled, struggling to undo the tiny buckles in the mostly-dark room.

Naruto chuckled, remembering how long it had taken Iruka to fasten everything, and in _daylight_. "Wait until you see the boots–"

"No way!" Sasuke's voice was incredulous, his hands stopping mid-motion in horror.

Naruto laughed, "Look, just leave it," he murmured, deciding it wasn't that important right now. He tugged on the mesh shirt, getting Sasuke to raise his arms, and it slipped over his head to join the pile of discarded things around them.

Naruto leaned forward and caught Sasuke's lips, trailing kisses along his jaw until he reached his long, regal neck. He slipped his arms tighter around Sasuke's back, and licked that tender skin with his warm tongue, his brain flooding with associations of years of sparring and grappling as he inhaled the scents of cardamom and sandalwood, the essence of Uchiha Sasuke. It made the fighting spirit within him start to add its rhythm to his already racing heartbeat.

Sasuke had gone tense, his hands gripping Naruto's biceps almost defensively. Naruto kept licking him, tasting him, experimentally grazing his teeth along the vein throbbing steadily under the smooth skin. Sasuke inhaled sharply at that, and Naruto couldn't help himself—on instinct, he bit him. Not hard enough to make him bleed, but hard enough to get an unexpected reaction.

Sasuke's cry of arousal took him off guard, but Naruto managed to protect his head as his teammate lurched into him and took them both to the floor. Sasuke's warm chest contrasted strangely with the linoleum touching the back of his shoulders, but Naruto was focused instead on the delightful way their legs had entwined from the sudden change in position. Sasuke was shifting his body, bracing his weight on his elbows and gasping hot breaths against Naruto's collarbone. Naruto reached into Sasuke's hair, chuckling.

"I guess you liked that, didn't you?" He loved repeating Sasuke, word for word.

Naruto felt a thrill throughout his body when Sasuke actually chuckled back, "So do it again then–_Moron_."

He didn't need to be asked twice.

Naruto instantly returned his mouth to Sasuke's neck, biting and nibbling and licking every place he could reach, twisting his fingers into Sasuke's silky hair. Sasuke moaned, grinding into him and shuddering from the pleasure; it made Naruto nearly lose it to feel Sasuke's massive hard-on through only their thin layers of underwear.

Sasuke evidently felt that turn-about was fair play; Naruto felt Sasuke's tongue outline every curve of his ear, sending ripples of pleasure throughout his whole body, and he bucked against him almost uncontrollably. After a moment of lust-filled blankness where he could only cling to his rival, Naruto decided to see how far this game could go.

He rocked them to the side, continuing to kiss Sasuke's neck, sliding his palm down his muscular back and over his hip, and reaching between them to feel the hard cock thrusting against his leg. Naruto shuddered; it was long and thick and luscious, begging to be released, and he eagerly uncovered several inches of it, tearing a seam in the fabric in his haste. Sasuke cried out for the second time, rolling them back over and crushing his lips against Naruto's in a completely predatory way.

Naruto felt Sasuke's hand slide down his body, moving over his washboard abs to stroke his length in tantalizing slowness. When he felt Sasuke's fingers delve underneath his boxer-briefs and wrap around him, he thought he might literally explode. Naruto thrust both his hips and tongue against his rival's mouth and hand, the intensity of the sensations close to making him come.

He tried to move, tried to flip them back over, but Sasuke had thoroughly pinned him on his back, lining up their hips in a near-replica of the time at the river. This time though, they were kissing like he'd wanted to, and Naruto sucked on Sasuke's tongue as it moved possessively against his, even as he struggled underneath him.

Sasuke was slowly pushing their underwear out of the way, and Naruto moaned at the friction of Sasuke's bare cock rubbing the length of his own. It made him crazy with desire, and he wanted to watch Sasuke underneath him, sprawled out in pleasure like before as they thrust against each other. He tried again to move, tried to get enough leverage to reverse their positions, but to no avail.

Naruto heard himself growl; if this was a challenge, he was going to win!

He kept one hand in Sasuke's hair, kissing him passionately and running the other hand down to his backside, curving over his tight, round butt cheek and squeezing. Sasuke moaned into his mouth, and Naruto used the timing of the distraction to power his muscles with chakra.

Fiery tingles burst over them both as the Kyuubi seal pulsed with electric sparks. Sasuke screamed down his throat in uninhibited pleasure as Naruto turned them over, breaking the kiss and gasping in shock at the intensity of the chakra's effect on his teammate. He braced himself above Sasuke, the Yukata fanning out behind him like a protective tent, listening to Sasuke's erratic breathing while the seal's tingles still danced over their sensitive groins.

"_Naruto…_" Sasuke's voice was feathered and moist, unlike anything he'd ever heard before, and Naruto felt his teammate's hands slide upward to grip the naked curves of his shoulders.

"Yeah?" he murmured, fighting not to thrust against him until he knew it was okay. Their erections were throbbing against each other, rigid with blood and lust, and it was a miracle he didn't climax just from thinking about it.

"Do that _again_!" Sasuke demanded, rocking his hips upward against him.

Naruto gasped, closing his eyes and concentrating on molding chakra to his tummy where both their erections were pressed tight. Sasuke dug fingers into his shoulders when the tingling surged over them, and Naruto bit his lip against the pleasure as they both moved their hips against each other.

The friction was good, and the tingling made it better—all sensations were heightened to a point that felt too good to be real. Naruto knew he wouldn't last long, and at this point he figured it didn't matter.

Sasuke groaned from the intensity, his fingers gripping harder and harder into the meat of Naruto's shoulders. It hurt, but Naruto barely noticed it underneath the sensations of pleasure and the thrill of Sasuke's aroused noises. All at once, Sasuke hissed through his teeth, tensing underneath him and gasping as his orgasm made him tremble against the floor.

Naruto could feel the warm wetness of Sasuke's cream coating both their stomachs, and he thrust upward into it. It was thick like honey, and feeling it on the underside of him was too much—one more thrust and then he clenched his teeth, shooting his own cream in spine-tingling bursts, a deep growl escaping from his throat.

Naruto shuddered, lightheaded, shifting after a moment to collapse beside his rival, unable to move at first. But Sasuke had always drawn him like a magnet, and before long he turned to seek his teammate's mouth with his lips, only to find that Sasuke was already leaning towards him on one elbow for the same thing. Sasuke reached behind his head and pulled him close for a slow, deep, sensual kiss. It left Naruto breathless.

Then Sasuke shifted something behind him and finally pushed off the Yukata, wadding it up and wiping the semen from first his stomach, and then Naruto's. Naruto pulled Sasuke closer to him, remembering absurdly that they were in the middle of his floor. He kissed him, slow and gentle, until he felt his heartbeat more or less return to normal.

His heart felt overly full, though there didn't seem to be a need to say anything while they were like this.

He nibbled and licked Sasuke's lips, kissing him with a lazy contentment now that the urgency had passed–although he was _far _from satisfied. Sasuke also seemed relaxed, though he was exploring Naruto's skin with curious fingers and palms, making him blossom in goose bumps nearly everywhere. Naruto stood it as long as he could, and then broke off their kissing, moving slowly upright, and pulling Sasuke's arm until he was more or less sitting up as well.

Sasuke moved close to Naruto so his hands could stroke through the blond hair at his temples, and Naruto sighed. He looked at Sasuke's face in the dark, and could almost make out a questioning eyebrow in the shadowy apartment. Maybe he should open his window shades so they could see.

He pressed his lips to Sasuke's, "Hey," he kissed him again, "Sasuke…"

Sasuke kissed him back, "Hmm?"

Naruto smiled, kissing him longer, and then nibbling Sasuke's bottom lip playfully. His smile became a grin, "Let's do that again!"

To his delight, Sasuke pulled him tight against him and drove his long tongue into his mouth. Naruto threw his arms around his back, holding him and kissing him fiercely. Just when his heartbeat had started to pound in his ears again, Sasuke pulled away, and Naruto shivered when he heard his teammate chuckle provocatively:

"Let's see if we can make it to your _bed_ this time, idiot."

* * *

--

* * *

Kakashi could barely keep himself from skipping down the short hall to his bedroom.

He was completely aroused, he had an incredibly sexy ninja following him, and he knew they had several hours of fooling around and wild sex ahead of them. It couldn't get any better! He flicked on the light as he passed through his door, and stood eagerly at the foot of his bed, waiting for Iruka to say what would happen next.

Iruka came into his doorway and stopped, reaching up to the doorframe and resting his fingers on the ledge, stretching out his tanned body in a seductive line. Kakashi swallowed, watching the half-untied red cords dangle down either side of him. Iruka smirked at the desire Kakashi wasn't trying to keep hidden, and then stepped into the room, reaching to the wall and flicking off the lights.

"Do it." Iruka made the request in a calm and reasonable voice, and Kakashi was aware of him moving closer, but not close enough for him to touch. What was he talking about?

"Do… what?" Kakashi said, his quick brain checking his database for all the different things Iruka could possibly be asking.

Iruka sighed, "_You know_."

Kakashi felt a little alarmed, Iruka wasn't giving him a lot to go on. So he did what anyone else would do—he took a step forward and started to slide his arms around the Chuunin, leaning in for a kiss.

Iruka stopped him, chuckling softly, "No silly. You know, that _thing_ you do."

Kakashi was seriously confused. "Iruka, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Iruka sighed again, sounding as if he were embarrassed to really say it, "You know… _Romantic-Lighting-no-Jutsu_…"

Kakashi laughed, then formed the seals and whispered the jutsu. Twelve candles sprung to life, six on each end table next to his massive bed, their light shimmering on the clean satin sheets. Even in the candlelight he could tell Iruka's cheeks were red, and Kakashi couldn't help himself, finishing what he'd started a moment ago and kissing him thoroughly.

When Iruka had gotten over his embarrassment, he moved Kakashi's hands away, pulling back and looking him up and down.

"Normally I'd enjoy undressing you," he teased, winking, "But since I could be seriously injured, why don't you go first and teach me the secret technique of hiding weapons in a festival Yukata–hmmmm?"

"Anything you say," Kakashi grinned, reaching behind him to withdraw the six needles from the back of his Obi, showing them off before discarding them out of the way. Iruka untied the knots of the cords, swiftly and surely, and Kakashi could feel the blood pumping underneath his skin in anticipation. He reached into the fold of his Yukata, and withdrew four tiny shuriken held between his knuckles.

Iruka smiled at him, amused as he made a big show of disarming himself. Kakashi began to hum, adding the shuriken to the pile of needles and running his gloved hands up the front of his chest, winking suggestively. He unfolded the collar of the Yukata at the back of his neck, and slipped out the hidden garrote, seeing Iruka raise an eyebrow.

Kakashi continued humming, flinging the garrote carelessly to the side, and unbuckling his left ANBU arm guard. Strapped to the silver glove was a thin holster, holding a small gleaming dagger. Kakashi winked, removing it and adding it to the pile of weapons along with the arm guard. He started to slip down the shimmering fabric of his glove, but Iruka interrupted.

"Hold it," Iruka held up a hand. "Leave the gloves _on_."

Iruka smirked, guessing correctly that there were no more weapons underneath, and Kakashi grew even more eager at the proceedings. He'd have to keep the gloves handy if Iruka liked them so much.

Kakashi grinned, "Anything you say, Iruka-_sensei_."

He unbuckled the other arm guard, removing a similar dagger and sheath, and dropping them to the growing pile on the floor. He hummed, turning his back on Iruka and letting him watch as he untied the knot of the Kaku-Obi. The front of his Yukata fell open, and he held the sash out to the side, dropping it and peeking over his shoulder. Iruka bit his lip, watching him intently.

Kakashi shrugged the fabric off his shoulders, letting it hang down his back to his waist and exposing the sleek silver shirt. He reached down to his thighs, where Iruka couldn't see what he'd hidden, and drew three miniature kunai with each hand. He dropped them and quickly drew a second set, hearing them clink and rattle on his floor. Kakashi removed the special thigh holsters, Iruka chuckling at the distinctive sound of the Velcro. Now for the last ones.

Using the Yukata as a shield for his lower body, he spread his legs wide and leaned forward suggestively, bracing his gloved hands on the foot of the bed and sticking his ass out like a professional stripper. He looked over his right shoulder with his blue eye, and licked his lips, watching Iruka grin at his antics. He also noticed that Iruka was nearly finished with the scarlet knots, and his belly flipped.

He straightened up, sliding his gloved hands down the front of his body and bending so he could continue the motion down his long legs. He withdrew his last two weapons slowly, letting Iruka hear the faint scraping as he slid them out of his special boots, and crossed them against his chest where Iruka couldn't see.

He stole a glance over his shoulder, and found Iruka running the red ropes through his hands, straightening out the kinks from his earlier knot-work. Iruka's eyes were watching him—lustful, with a large dose of curiosity—daring him to actually show what he held.

In one flourish, Kakashi spun around, twirling the weapons and striking an attack pose, the matching Sai inches from Iruka's throat. Iruka hadn't moved, trusting that he wouldn't get hurt, but his face was very surprised.

"_Sai_? Since when do you fight with Sai?" Iruka asked, taking one of them from his hand to look closer.

Kakashi chuckled, only half answering, "I just thought they'd look cool."

Iruka rolled his eyes, smiling a little, "Sai can be fun, I suppose." He dropped the sai into the heap of weapons on the floor, taking the other and adding it as well. "But I think we're going to have enough fun without them."

He moved his right hand to Kakashi's face, running his thumb over the scar underneath his eye, then stroked his cheek.

"Now hurry up and show me what else you're hiding under there…" Iruka chuckled, and Kakashi shivered under the weight of his hand caressing down his chest, stopping just above his hard cock.

In four seconds he was standing completely nude in front of his lover, with the exception of his silver gloves. Watching Iruka find the midpoint of the two cords and untangle the ends from each other, Kakashi posed on the bed this way and that.

"How do you want me? Like this? Or this?"

He grinned as he made each position more and more suggestive, completely unashamed of drawing attention to his massive erection. It made him wiggle with glee to see Iruka trying so hard not to laugh outright. God, he was so cute like that.

"_Kakashi_," Iruka's voice held a warning in it, though his smile softened it. He crooked a finger, asking him to come closer, and Kakashi rushed to stand obediently in front of him, grinning and playful.

Iruka sighed, "You're impossible, you know that?" He slipped the middle of one long red cord around the back of the Jounin's neck.

"I guess you'll have to punish me," Kakashi purred, recognizing the beginnings of one of his favorite ways to be restrained.

"It's a good thing you _like_ being punished," Iruka commented, making a succession of knots down the two ends of the cord in wide intervals.

"Only because it's _you_," Kakashi stole a kiss from the Chuunin's mouth.

Iruka chuckled, pushing him away lightly with his palm, "I think I'll begin the interrogation now, Kakashi-_sensei_."

"If you must.".

He could only imagine what questions Iruka had for him, and guessed most of them would be about their students. It was high time they got everything out into the open—hell, it was their fake reason for coming inside to have wild sex. It made him think back wistfully about he and Iruka's first experiences together, and also wonder vaguely what the boys might be up to…

"You had such a bizarre reaction to Naruto," Iruka began, "What in the world was wrong with you?"

Iruka's quick fingers were making their way lower and lower down the front of his body. Kakashi frowned; he didn't really want to talk about that.

"It was Yondaime-sama's Yukata, wasn't it? I was just surprised to see it again." Kakashi paused. "How was I supposed to react?"

Iruka glanced up into his eye, shrugging, though his face was thoughtful, "I don't know, but… all that _Sake_! I've never seen you like that."

The knots went all the way down the front of his torso, and Iruka spread the two lengths of cord around either side of his genitals and made a knot that rested right underneath his balls. Kakashi shifted his feet. It was a highly discordant feeling to have _this_ man touching him so intimately while asking about _that_ man. _Yondaime_.

"Can we not talk about this right now?"

"Why not? I was really worried, Kakashi," Iruka moved behind him, reaching through his legs, and Kakashi felt the cords slip up the crack of his ass as Iruka continued tying knots.

"It's… something from the past," Kakashi tried to keep his voice even. It would be a little below the belt, but hopefully it would distract Iruka from this line of questioning, "What if I started asking you about _Mizuki_?"

Iruka smacked his ass with his palm, more noise than actual pain. "Don't even _mention_ that name."

Kakashi gave a cynical smile. This is why the past should stay buried. It never did any good to know all the details about someone else's secrets.

Iruka continued, "Although I don't understand what _the one_ could have to do with _the other_…" His voice showed that Kakashi wasn't totally off the hook yet. "So how well did you know Itachi? It was so weird how everyone was acting; I assume the reason for the whispering about Sasuke must have something to do with his brother."

Kakashi groaned at Iruka's second choice of topics. He looked up at the ceiling with a pleading eye. At least this one was slightly easier to handle, if still very uncomfortable.

He sighed. "Not that well. Don't you remember the last Hunt?"

He felt, rather than heard Iruka shaking his head, "Not a lot of it, since I didn't compete. I know Itachi won, and won impressively. But I didn't know him at all. Actually I don't think we spoke even once."

Kakashi smiled, remembering hiding in the trees and seeing his favorite Chuunin being escorted to the hospital. "That's right… you had a broken arm at the last festival."

Iruka's hands stopped what they were doing, "How on earth would you know that? Did we even know each other then?"

Kakashi stepped back a little, reaching for Iruka's hips and just holding him against his back, "I'm not sure we've ever been _officially_ introduced, Iruka-sensei." He chuckled.

Iruka gave him a quick kiss on the back of the neck, "You know what I mean, Kakashi. Anyways, I don't like how people were whispering and staring—poor Sasuke! Does he really look that much like his brother?"

Kakashi sighed. Iruka was being persistent.

"Itachi humiliated every Chuunin and Jounin who entered the Hunt; you can't expect people to forget that kind of thing so easily. And yes, Sasuke looks like him. A _lot_ like him. Now do you really want to talk, or can we just have sex like normal people?"

Iruka laughed. Kakashi frowned–he hadn't meant it to be funny.

"Okay, okay," Iruka pulled the cords taut up his back, and Kakashi felt them shift, thrumming all the way down to his groin and back up to his neck, "But I have one more question."

Kakashi shivered from the feel of the cords on his skin, "And then no more talking?"

Iruka molded himself against Kakashi's back, keeping the cords tight in one hand and reaching around the front of him, lightly stroking his fingers along his hardened length.

"How did you guess I'm an expert archer?"

Kakashi shuddered, biting his lip against the noises that tried to escape from the intensity. He chuckled, "Do you even have to ask?"

Iruka stroked him, squeezing just enough to be completely maddening, "Hn."

Iruka kissed that spot right behind his ear, the one that drove him crazy, and goose bumps made their way both upward and downward like tiny armies laying siege. All playfulness was quickly overshadowed by lust, and Kakashi felt hard pressed to keep still while Iruka continued to tie knots against his pale skin, criss-crossing the cords from back to front in a tight net.

When he'd finished with the first cord, Iruka leaned into Kakashi's back, and reached both hands up his sides from hips to chest, curving his palms around to tease his nipples. Kakashi hissed and reached behind to grab Iruka's ass, pulling his lover's hips tight into his own backside, but Iruka moved away, biting the back of his shoulder playfully and coming around the front of him.

"Kneel on the bed, facing away from me," Iruka said, his voice holding an edge of similar arousal as he surveyed his work from his new perspective. Kakashi did what he was asked, kneeling on the edge of the bed, back straight and thighs angled so he could balance on the plush surface.

Iruka trailed his fingers over the web of cords on his back, "I'm going to try something different; you'll have to tell me afterward what you think."

Kakashi grinned, closing his eye, picturing what Iruka was doing behind him, "As long as you fuck me senseless, I'm going to like it."

"Tch," Iruka's voice was teasing, "Such _language_."

Kakashi grinned wider, feeling Iruka move his arms so his wrists were near to his ankles. It didn't exactly surprise him when he felt the second red cord looping around his elbows. He'd been bound like this the time before last, though it amused him to try and guess what Iruka was planning.

Once his elbows were bound, he felt Iruka bind his wrists, looping the cords several times to protect his circulation. Even if his ankles were next, Iruka would still have a lot of cord left… What was this new thing he was talking about? Well, at least Iruka was creative and thoughtful, as well as incredibly sexy and incredibly good in bed. And damn near insatiable, just like him. He had to be the happiest uke there ever was.

Kakashi smirked; he'd just had a funny thought, "Iruka-_sensei_?"

"Yes?" Iruka pulled on the cords, tightening the knots and binding Kakashi's wrists right behind his hip bones, linking them to the webbing of the first cord.

"Which of the boys do you think is the seme?"

Iruka scolded him, "Kakashi!" Then after a moment, "I thought you didn't want any more _talking_?"

Kakashi laughed, feeling the red cord move to his ankle, "Oh, I'm just curious to hear your opinion."

"Tch," Iruka sounded a little embarrassed by the topic, and Kakashi enjoyed hearing him be a bit flustered. "It's perfectly obvious who the seme is, Kakashi."

Kakashi grinned, "Well of course it's obvious, to you and me… but do you think _they_ know?"

Iruka sighed; he was definitely embarrassed. "I'm sure they'll figure it out soon enough."

He sounded like he wanted to end the discussion, moving the cords to Kakashi's other ankle and making quick work of tying the knots to match his other side. Kakashi found he had to arch his back to keep his ankles as close to his wrists as Iruka wanted them.

The Jounin couldn't resist taunting him one last time, "So what do you think they're doing right now?"

"GAH!" Iruka smacked him on his thigh, "I refuse to discuss them in that…that… _inappropriate_ way, Kakashi!"

Kakashi laughed heartily; it was so much fun to tease Iruka. But that was when he felt Iruka's hand slip between his legs, pushing the cords through. His whole body tensed at the unexpected move.

"Hmmm, not so funny anymore, eh? Kakashi-sensei?"

Iruka moved gently onto the bed, facing him with a smirk and being careful not to rock the mattress too much. Kakashi stayed balanced, looking down at Iruka's hands as they created a strange red pattern with the cords, both around his testicles and down the length of his cock and back.

"That's new," Kakashi commented, wondering if he should be more worried or excited at this new twist to their usual bondage play.

Iruka grinned, planting a sensual kiss on his lips, "Just wait." And then he pushed the cords back underneath him, sliding carefully off the bed.

Kakashi couldn't take his eye off himself. His survival instincts screamed at him to get the cords off his dick as quickly as he could. And yet, the perverted side of him thought it was artistic, and was curious what it would feel like if he climaxed while they were snug. Just then he felt Iruka pull on the cords, sending a pulse of pleasure over his length. He couldn't be sure unless he looked, but it felt like Iruka had just tied off the ends so that they connected to the knots that bound his wrists and ankles.

"Now," Iruka caressed satisfied hands up the back of his arms to his shoulders, playing along his shoulder blades and back down the curve of his spine. "Don't move. I have to get something."

Kakashi felt his arousal stretch as tight as the scarlet cords wrapping his body, "Iruka… hurry."

"Just a second," Iruka had moved a few feet away, and Kakashi heard the telltale rustle of his Yukata. "And I mean it. _Don't move_."

Kakashi concentrated on breathing, though the more he looked at his cock, the more he thought about Iruka, the more he wanted to be fucked, and the more he wondered if he'd really have these red cords wrapped around him when he climaxed. His pulse was quickening and starting to throb in the places he was tied, even underneath the silver gloves.

"Er… Kakashi?" Iruka was still rustling his Yukata, "Where did you hide your lube?"

Kakashi held his breath, and then fought the urge to laugh. He'd totally forgotten he'd slipped it to Sasuke. "Oh, uh… you'll have to get yours. Your Yukata is still by the door."

He heard only silence for a moment. Iruka's voice was nervous when he continued, "Uh, well… actually I don't have any with me…"

"_What_?" Kakashi tried to look over his shoulder, "I thought you started carrying some a while ago?"

Iruka sighed defensively, "Well, _you're_ the pervert! I mean, you had enough weapons hidden all over you–are you really saying you forgot it?"

"Nevermind," Kakashi grumbled, gesturing with his chin towards the left end table, "There's some in there, I think."

"No," Iruka put his hands on his hips, "We used that up last week, remember?"

"Hmmm." Kakashi _did_ remember. _Great_. Sasuke had better be getting some use out of the gift for all the grief it was causing at the moment.

"The desk? Did we put some in there?"

Iruka grumbled, stepping over the pile of weapons and walking to it. He opened the drawers, rifling through some random papers and junk that Kakashi never used anyways, "I don't see any…"

"Hmmmm," Kakashi thought.

"Kakashi!" Iruka sounded alarmed, "Is there really none in your entire apartment?" Kakashi grimaced; Iruka sounded like he might become hysterical. And _he_ wasn't the one who was _tied_.

Sex without lube was something he'd rather not contemplate unless he and Iruka were stuck in enemy territory facing the last minutes of their lives.

"Of course there is," Kakashi sincerely hoped he was telling the truth.

"But what if there's _not_?"

"There has to be some somewhere… where else would we have put it?"

"I don't know, it's _your_ apartment!" Iruka huffed, pacing.

"Well, check in the bathroom," Kakashi suggested, "I'm sure we had some silicone-based stuff in there at one time."

He heard Iruka disappear, and held his breath. He could hear the creak of the mirrored cabinet opening, and then the rustle of his shower curtain. Iruka's returning footsteps were alarmingly quick, and he closed his eyes, hoping they hadn't struck out. He didn't want to imagine what might happen if they didn't find some, although he did find it a strange coincidence that they _both_ would be without their normal supply.

He also wasn't thrilled at the idea of shampoo or margarine as emergency substitutes.

But just then Iruka rushed over to grab him around the shoulders and hold a nearly full bottle of lube out for him to see. "You were right!" Iruka exclaimed, kissing the side of his neck with a wet smack.

"Thank God," Kakashi relaxed, sighing audibly with relief.

"I was so worried," Iruka chuckled, setting the lube aside for the moment and running his hands over Kakashi's back, like he was trying to reassure himself that he was still there, still tied, and still ready for whatever was on the menu.

Kakashi couldn't help but tease, since they were both so relieved, "That'll teach you to always have some on you, right Iruka?"

Iruka gasped in false affront, then chuckled, "And saying things like that will only get you _punished_." Iruka was standing close behind him, warm and solid.

"Hn," Kakashi moved his hands back to reach Iruka's cock, and halted abruptly, sucking in a breath of surprise—

The red cords, so artfully covering most of his body, were indeed tied with a new feature: When he moved his hands—and probably his ankles, too—the knots along his cock tightened ever-so-slightly. Kakashi froze, not sure if he really wanted to test it further.

"Aaaaaah," Iruka's voice was low and sexy, the excitement of the past moments forgotten in the face of uninterrupted delights to come. "I see you've discovered my little trick." He trailed his fingertips down the back of Kakashi's triceps, and the Jounin bit his tongue at the goose-bumps that broke out.

"Very _interesting_, Iruka-sensei," was all he said, though he rather enjoyed being in the predicament. All thoughts now centered between his legs, caught in Iruka's clever trap. At this moment, the tightness of the cords was arousing. But how much tighter could it get before it was too much?

"I'm always thinking of you, Kakashi-sensei," Iruka said, reaching around to his front to tease his nipples. Kakashi groaned, throwing his head back and trying not to arch his back any further in desire. Still, the cords tightened a little bit more.

Iruka moved his hands down the front of Kakashi's body to his hips, and then down the top of his long thighs to his knees. The hands shifted to the inside of Kakashi's thighs, fingertips drawing towards his groin with tantalizing, slow pressure. Kakashi really had to fight not to squirm.

"How do you like it? Is it good?" Iruka asked, his chest against Kakashi's back and his hands reaching into that tender spot where the thigh and hip connect, rubbing over the length of cord that nestled there.

"You do tie a good knot, Iruka-sensei…" Kakashi replied, shifting to keep his balance and feeling the web tighten still a little further. His heart was racing—this slow torture might actually do him in.

"You are so damn sexy, Kakashi," Iruka said, placing a trail of kisses across his shoulders and moving his hands away from his crotch. He placed one hand on Kakashi's stomach.

"Especially from back here." Iruka's other hand moved to his ass, reaching to touch his sensitive entrance without warning.

Kakashi bucked from the surprising pleasure, and would have fallen if it weren't for Iruka's strong arm across his middle. The cords tightened accordingly, and he squirmed from the intensity, alternately trying to move towards Iruka's touch and away from it in a volley of conflicting instinctual reactions. He broke out in a sweat, moaning, feeling very, _very_ close to climaxing.

"_Iruka_…" was about all he could get out.

Iruka kissed the back of his neck, and to his relief reached for the lube. Kakashi struggled to be still, although every part of him was urging him to break out of the cords. He knew logically that he could–he was a Jounin, and escaping rope-jutsus was a Genin level skill.

But that was the whole point of these situations he and Iruka created on occasion—Kakashi _chose_ to yield. And it was only with Iruka that he could relax, let someone else's strength and desires take the lead where he could allow himself the simple pleasure of relinquishing control for the duration of their lovemaking.

He suspected it was the same for Iruka—Iruka who always thought of others and put others' needs above his own. With him, Iruka could be the one in charge. Iruka could decide exactly what he wanted and take it, knowing that he was also making Kakashi happy in the process.

The lube was cool on Iruka's fingers, and Kakashi whimpered from the intimate touch. Iruka circled his entrance, and then slid one finger inside. Kakashi couldn't help but squirm, and he hissed in a breath at the cords still tightening their hold on his cock. He really wasn't going to last long.

Iruka kissed his neck, teasing his skin with his teeth as he slid a second finger inside with the first. Kakashi rocked his pelvis, groaning at the wonderfully familiar sensations of Iruka's finger-penetration in contrast to the very new feeling of the cords on his cock.

Both together were _unbelievable_.

"_I…ru…ka…_" Kakashi whimpered more insistently. Iruka growled against his neck, angling his fingers just right to rub his G-spot in steady strokes.

Kakashi groaned, twitching from the explosion of pleasure, and feeling the cords constrict right at the edge where pleasure and pain blurred. He thrust his hips, letting Iruka's arm support him while giving himself over to the hotness of it all, falling into the emptiness that preceded shocking levels of pleasure. He cried out with his orgasm, shooting hot trails all over the bed in front of him, completely amazed at the range.

Iruka slowly withdrew his fingers, pulling Kakashi against his chest, who was panting and sighing from the rush. Iruka shifted to the side, leaning over his shoulder to kiss his cheek, and Kakashi turned his neck to meet his mouth with hungry passion. Iruka moaned, clearly turned on from the sight of what had just happened, kissing him back with sensual heat for several wondrous moments. Then he gently pulled away.

"Well I guess I better get you out of this, at least _somewhat_." Iruka gave him a peck, and then moved his hands to the tangle of knots around Kakashi's backside.

The twisting cords around Kakashi's cock had loosened already since he wasn't erect anymore, but it was a relief to have them gone when Iruka had undone the knots that bound him there and at his ankles. Now a bit less constrained, he reached his long, gloved fingers towards Iruka, smirking when he found a hard erection behind him.

"Iruka-sensei," He teased, hearing Iruka chuckle and lean into his hands, "Look what we have here."

"Hmmm," Iruka was working the knots at his wrists, "Now what are we going to do with that?"

The knots fell away, and Kakashi stretched his wrists a little, getting the blood going again, "I can think of several options…"

Iruka chuckled, unwinding the cord from his elbows and freeing his limbs. Kakashi twisted around, stepping from the bed on wobbly legs and hastily grabbing Iruka around the ribs. Iruka caught him before he fell, and Kakashi grinned, finding his balance and kissing his lover with an agile tongue. He shifted from foot to foot, bending his knees to get them used to holding his weight again.

Kakashi pulled their bodies close together, noticing all the places their skin couldn't touch because of the net of cords still tied to his torso. He made his gloved hands busy, touching Iruka's neck, shoulders, chest and back, pleased at the shivers he felt from his lover. Iruka broke off the kiss, distracted by what Kakashi was doing, and he rested his chin on Kakashi's shoulder, curling fingers into the knot-work across his back and relaxing his arms.

Kakashi chuckled, hearing Iruka sigh contentedly from the continual stroking Kakashi was doing to his body. Kakashi moved his thumbs to Iruka's nipples, coordinating their teasing, circular strokes, and felt Iruka tense. He trailed his fingertips down Iruka's stomach, bracing one hand on his hip, curling his other hand around Iruka's hard cock and hearing Iruka gasp.

"Hmmm," Kakashi whispered seductively, "You really like these gloves, don't you?"

Iruka nodded against his shoulder, "Mmm-hmmmm."

Kakashi grinned, "Then maybe we should do it like this—"

He grabbed Iruka tight and launched them both onto the bed, Iruka landing on his back right in the puddle of his orgasm.

"Hey!" Iruka laughed, as Kakashi adjusted his knees on either side of him, snuggling close.

"There's plenty more where _that_ came from," he teased, running his gloved fingers across Iruka's collarbones.

"I sincerely hope so," Iruka curled his fingers into the knots on the front of Kakashi's body, pulling him down for a long, wet kiss. Kakashi moved to touch Iruka's nipple, swirling the satin glove around the tight peak. Iruka moaned, and he kept it up until Iruka was squirming.

Kakashi reached for the bottle of lube, tapping Iruka's hand with it, "Here, get us nice and ready." He held up his gloved hands, "So I don't get these messy."

Iruka grinned, rolling his eyes but doing as he asked. Kakashi braced his weight on hands and knees, giving Iruka enough room to slick his erection, and tease him with his fingers, even though he was still ready from before. Kakashi moaned, smiling down into Iruka's eyes, and then kissing him. He could feel the blood starting to collect in his own cock, still marked on the skin by the snugness of the cords.

Iruka held his rigid cock steady, moving a hand to Kakashi's hip and squeezing. They broke off their kissing for the moment, and Kakashi gently and carefully lowered himself down onto his lover. He watched the expression on Iruka's face, biting his lower lip and closing his eyes as he slid further and further inside him, his chocolate brown hair spread out on the pillows.

Kakashi sighed, rocking his hips and making them both gasp. He leaned forward, finding Iruka's mouth and kissing him until they were both breathless. Then he started to move, slowly, steadily, a rhythm that was exciting but wouldn't let them climax too soon. Iruka ran his hands along his thighs, and Kakashi used his gloved hands and fingers to touch Iruka everywhere he could reach.

It made Iruka moan, and he coordinated his hands and hips in a way effortless for an upper-class ninja, content to draw out their lovemaking for as long as he could, or at least until Iruka was ready to come. They were both working up a sweat, the beads of it dampening the palms of his gloves, though it seemed to increase Iruka's pleasure as they dragged across his skin.

"Kakashi…" Iruka's voice was breathy, highly aroused.

"Hmm?" Kakashi whispered, also beginning to pant from the activity.

"Roll over."

Kakashi's stomach dropped, his cock twitching from the hotness of his lover's request. He didn't even think about rebelling, just moved them flawlessly across the surface of his enormous bed so that he was now on his back.

Iruka kissed him, holding still. Kakashi enjoyed these moments, when they were so intimately linked, just kissing and collecting themselves before starting up again. It was wonderfully sweet.

Then Iruka sat back on his heels, drawing Kakashi's long legs on either side of him. Kakashi watched as Iruka reached for his hands, bringing them towards his groin, and settling them onto his now throbbing erection.

Iruka winked, "Show me what those gloves can do."

Kakashi grinned, and began to stroke himself, making it a big show for Iruka as he began to thrust. He groaned, watching Iruka watching his hands. The smooth gloves really did feel good, almost like they were someone else's hands altogether. He had to admit the sight was erotic, and Iruka clearly agreed—he picked up the pace almost as if he didn't realize that he was doing it.

Kakashi found himself caught between sensations again, first concentrating on the feel of Iruka inside him, and then remembering to also work his hard length at the same time. He closed his eye so he could focus on matching his hand with Iruka's hips, and began to pant again from the intensity. He knew from experience that Iruka could go like this for a long time, and he moaned like one who knows his torture isn't anywhere close to ending.

Iruka chuckled, "I love seeing you like this, 'Kashi…"

Kakashi opened his eye, seeing Iruka's enjoyment clearly showing on his flushed cheeks,

"See what you do to me, Iruka…" He smiled, giving his cock a few exaggerated strokes, and seeing Iruka bite his lip to keep back a groan of desire.

Iruka adjusted the angle of his thrusts, and Kakashi groaned. Dear god, how did he know just how to make him crazy? He clenched his teeth.

"Ru-ru… _harder_…"

Iruka shifted them again, getting better leverage and then thrusting with increasing speed and power. Kakashi threw his head back from the onslaught of sensation, gasping from the immense pleasure. He couldn't stop his hand, his wrist, working himself in time with Iruka's rhythm until he came in a hot succession of creamy spurts. It got on the gloves, but somehow he didn't think Iruka would care.

Iruka gasped from the erotic sight of his orgasm, panting and thrusting in earnest, still sending waves of pleasure throughout Kakashi's body with every calculated movement of his hips. Kakashi knew Iruka was close when his rhythm faltered, just for a second, and then he made several long and deep thrusts, a primal growling noise escaping his throat as he climaxed.

Neither of them could move at first, Kakashi flinging his arms to the sides in contentment, and Iruka just trying to keep himself upright. They did look at each other, however, and Kakashi felt warm from the mutual affection and lust they both held in their eyes. Eventually, disengaged, Iruka moved up beside him, laying his head on Kakashi's outstretched arm.

Kakashi rolled on his side, wrapping his other arm across him. "Hey… Iruka," he asked, kissing the soft brown hair at his temple, and pulling off the sticky gloves.

"Hmmm?" Iruka closed his eyes, relaxing.

"Do you remember the first time we did that?" Kakashi grinned, seeing Iruka's embarrassed smile spread over his face.

"Of course I remember," Iruka chuckled, bending his elbow and touching his arm where it crossed his body, "I actually passed out for a moment."

Kakashi chuckled, "I thought it was so cute, once I knew you were okay."

"Tch," Iruka commented, though he was still smiling. He opened his eyes, and turned to look at him, the smile becoming more serious, "I love you, you know."

"Of course I know," Kakashi replied, "I love you too."

Iruka snuggled against him, "I know."

And they both proceeded to prove it, over and over.

Before he fell asleep, Kakashi smiled, curled up with a freshly-showered, sleeping Iruka and thinking of all the laundry he'd be doing the next day.

Love was really messy sometimes–if you expressed it correctly.

* * *

--

* * *

Naruto wished for the first time that he possessed Byakugan.

Because then he could see all the amazing details of Uchiha Sasuke—the Uchiha Sasuke that was sitting in a heap of discarded clothing and kissing him deeply—without having to move away from him to open the shades of his window. He grudgingly twisted his lips away from Sasuke's.

"Just a sec," he said, scrambling to his feet.

If they were ever going to get to his bed they were going to need some light. He impatiently finished sliding his underwear down his legs and over the boots, kicking them aside and glad to be rid of them, then bumped and banged his way over to his bed, kneeling on it and reaching for the two plastic shades.

He gave a short tug on each and let go. They rolled all the way to the top with a whirring and a snap, allowing the full moon's glowing light to bathe the room in silvery beams. Yosh!

He turned on his bed, seeing Sasuke still kneeling on the floor where it was still dark, looking up at him as he undid the last straps of his last boot. Naruto grinned, hopping off his bed when Sasuke gasped, and held up a hand.

"Wait," Sasuke said, "Stop right where you are."

Sasuke stared so intently, eyes wide, that Naruto felt suddenly alarmed. He halted in the middle of his floor.

"What?" he asked, looking around, then looking back to Sasuke. Didn't he want him to come back?

Sasuke finished taking off his boot and leg wrappings, never moving his eyes from Naruto's, and stood slowly. He was just outside the line that the moonlight made on the floor, completely nude, glowing in the muted, reflected light like he was underwater. Naruto swallowed.

"Er… Sasuke?" he asked, nervous.

Sasuke smirked, his eyes shifting to the red of his bloodline limit. "If you could see what I'm looking at, you wouldn't be asking me questions."

Naruto looked around again. Everything in his tiny apartment looked just like it always did, and he creased his brows, confused.

Sasuke stepped into the light, and Naruto felt warmth in his cheeks from the shocking beauty of him, darkly powerful, illumined by the moon, the central bead of his necklace gleaming at his throat. Naruto could feel the arteries in his neck palpitating furiously, and he thought he might go blind—or mad—from the erotic sight.

Sasuke stalked over to him, wide shoulders and narrow hips, a specimen of true masculine perfection. The pulse in Naruto's neck trembled like a mouse underneath a tiger's paw, wholly captivated by snarling jaws in its last moments of life. Naruto could hardly breathe, feeling unaccountably nervous about Sasuke closing the distance.

What had been so simple in the dark seemed so much more profound now that he could see all the different things that filled Sasuke's eyes–and Sasuke was looking at _him_.

He didn't dare move, caught like he'd been so many other times—half of him wanting to rush forward, the other half wanting to spring back. Sasuke made his way across the room, oblivious to his own nudity, and came within an arm's length of Naruto. Naruto stopped breathing altogether.

Sasuke touched his hair, stroking his fingers through it, and tucking a tuft of it behind his ear. Naruto sighed from the goose-bumps that rampaged across his tanned skin, and Sasuke gave him a half smile.

"My god," his rival said, his voice and eyes equally approving. Sasuke touched down the line of his neck, trailing his fingers across the length of his shoulder and back along his collarbone to his throat. Naruto's skin burst into flames.

Sasuke moved his eyes down Naruto's body to his feet, sweeping back up to lock gazes with him. Naruto gasped when Sasuke's hand brushed down past his left nipple, sending a spark of pleasure as it followed an imaginary line down his tummy to his hip. Sasuke nudged him to turn around with a steady pressure, and Naruto shifted his feet along with the guiding touch until he was facing the other way.

He blinked against the light streaming in his window, and tensed when he felt Sasuke's strong arms wrap around him. One came across his stomach, the other across his chest, and Sasuke's warm, muscular, very naked body snuggled up behind him as he rested his chin on Naruto's shoulder. This slow kind of touching made him nervous, even while it was thrilling—everything was suddenly, excruciatingly _new_.

"Look." Sasuke nodded his head towards the glass.

Naruto looked again, refocusing his eyes on their faint reflections in the flat panes of the window. Sasuke's creamy skin shimmered from the moonlight, radiating sexual energy back to Naruto through the glare. He looked at where their bodies touched, the lean muscles of Sasuke's arms complimented by the thicker muscles of Naruto's torso, their skin two different shades of power and strength.

It made Naruto's jaw drop in realization; this was the first time he'd ever seen himself with Sasuke, just the two of them, up close. His heart gave a lurch—they really looked good together. _Really good_. Like a real couple.

Naruto blushed, hot, and Sasuke chuckled close to his ear. "See how sexy you are?"

"_Me_?" Naruto gaped, incredulous; Sasuke was the sexy one, not him. "_You're_ the one with the fan-club."

"Hn," Sasuke purred, sliding both his hands down Naruto's body to his thighs, showing him off like a priceless work of art and smirking. "You think this isn't sexy?"

Naruto flushed even hotter, "_Sasuke_…"

He watched it all in the reflection, feeling the warm pressure of Sasuke's palms against his skin. They were calm and still, so close to other parts of him, but making no moves as of yet. Even inches away, their presence was enough to make him twitch. He glanced down, feeling a little shy, and a _lot_ turned on.

Sasuke chuckled, moving his arms back to wrap around him, snug. Naruto closed his eyes, feeling Sasuke's warm lips against his neck kissing him sweetly. Sasuke's next words were teasing rather than sarcastic.

"Nice boots."

Naruto chuckled, relaxing, "Yeah?"

"Hmm," Sasuke nodded, "Nice gloves, too."

Naruto grinned, "They're awesome, aren't they?" He held his arms in front of him, twisting them both ways to look at the gleaming buckles and shiny leather.

Sasuke gave him a squeeze, teasing further, "I guess I win."

Naruto watched his reflection, perplexed, "What do you mean?"

Sasuke smirked, "For being the most _naked_."

"You bastard!" Naruto turned his head to try and see Sasuke's face, grinning, "That means _I_ win—for getting you naked _first_!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he rocked his hips against Naruto's backside, and Naruto made a yip of surprise. Oh yes—Sasuke was indeed naked. Naked and _hard_. Naked and hard and looking at him like he'd just become dinner. Naruto swallowed.

If Sasuke hadn't kissed him right then, it would have happened only a moment later; Naruto was already twisting his neck around and reaching his left hand into that silky black hair that he couldn't seem to stop touching. Sasuke's tongue was wonderfully long, and moving against his own now like they'd had years of practice. He felt his belly twitch in yearning; was this what it would always be like? So unbelievably hot, and increasingly more intense?

Sasuke was a _tensai_. Naruto had never before considered what it might be like if his teammate put all his brainpower into sexual mastery.

Naruto shuddered, and Sasuke held him tighter, kissing him completely breathless. Naruto twisted the rest of his body around to ease the strain on his neck, pulling his rival closer with his free arm. He started inching backwards towards the bed, Sasuke moving forward a little too quick in his eagerness, making him lose his balance.

Naruto held on tight and angled their fall to land more or less lengthwise on the twin bed—he didn't much like the idea of hitting his head on the wall, even if he _did_ like the idea of Sasuke tumbling down with him. They landed on their sides, bouncing slightly, both of them automatically protecting their more vulnerable areas.

Naruto grinned, shifting a bit on the mattress, "Try not to knock me out, you jerk!"

"Hn," Sasuke leaned his body up so Naruto could move the buckled glove from underneath his ribs, which had deep red imprints of the clasps, "Try not to leave any scars, moron."

Naruto started to glare, but Sasuke had that mischievous look that meant he was joking, and Naruto kissed him quickly on the mouth.

"Then how 'bout I take these off," Naruto suggested, grinning and reaching to the buckles of his gloves, not waiting for an answer.

"Definitely," Sasuke sat up, reaching to his feet.

Sasuke had both of the boots off before Naruto had managed to finish with one glove, and he made taunting comments while he finished the task. It annoyed Naruto to no end, and as soon as his body was completely unencumbered Naruto tackled his teammate and ground him into the layers of blankets.

As he'd begun to expect, Sasuke kissed him back but growled and tried to shift himself on top. They grappled for a while, a sexy game of seeing who could keep himself on top the longest, and Naruto was so aroused when Sasuke nibbled his earlobe that for a few moments he forgot to counterattack. Naruto moaned, tensing underneath Sasuke and closing his eyes, and then giving in to the sensations, made all the more erotic by Sasuke's self-satisfied chuckling.

Sasuke slowly and surely began to drive him wild. He moved his lips and tongue from Naruto's ear, to his cheek, along his jaw, across his throat, up the other side… Naruto found it difficult to process all the sensations, and just held his rival close.

This was a tenderness he'd never experienced before—Naruto struggled to name all the different emotional responses within him.

_Some _things were easier to identify. There was desire between them; Naruto knew they were both aware of the obvious signs of it as they lay entwined, but Sasuke seemed to want to take his time. Naruto sighed, running his refreshingly naked palms over his teammate's back, and then over his thigh where it crossed his body.

His stomach flipped whenever he became aware that this was _Sasuke_. It was hard to believe that he was really here, so close, and Naruto was really allowed to touch him.

Sasuke was licking that little hollow at the base of his neck, as if he were strategically memorizing the details of his body like he would for an A-Class mission. Naruto considered the things he'd learned about his rival so far, and found himself grinning with curiosity. What _else_ did Sasuke like? Naruto smirked, wanting to unlock the secret things that would get Uchiha Sasuke to make more pleasure-noises like the one's he heard so far.

Intrigued, Naruto shifted his body enough to reach his hand between them. He wrapped his fingers around Sasuke's hardness, stroking the length of it slowly, comparing it to his own. Sasuke paused, his mouth hovering above Naruto's collarbone. Naruto kept touching him, rubbing the moisture at the tip with his thumb, and wondering what it tasted like. Sasuke made pleased, appreciative noises, returning to his methodical exploration of Naruto's neck and chest.

Naruto loved the warm, wet trails that Sasuke was leaving on his skin, like he was drawing a map so he knew how to get back to the beginning. Sasuke clearly liked licking him; Naruto remembered their first experience at the river, Sasuke's hot tongue dancing over his stomach, tingling from his chakra. He had an image of himself, licking Sasuke's stomach, and then lower, until Sasuke screamed his name from it.

Naruto shuddered from the ensuing wave of desire—he _had_ to find out what every part of Sasuke tasted like.

He withdrew his hand so he could push Sasuke's hip. "Oi, roll over."

"Nope." Sasuke answered between licks, tensing his thigh so that Naruto wouldn't be able to move him easily.

Naruto creased his brows. Then he slipped his hand back where it had been, stroking Sasuke's cock for emphasis. "Oi, I said roll over. It's my turn to lick _you_."

That got his rival's attention.

"Hn," Sasuke remarked, lifting his head to regard him, his eyes calculating. After a pause, he smirked, "Do you think you can handle it?" He moved his thigh, leaning back on one elbow to regard him coolly.

"You won't last _five minutes_," Naruto boasted, sliding down Sasuke's body and grinning at him.

He scooted backwards until he was resting beside Sasuke's massive erection, propped up on his elbow and already salivating. Then he quailed; it looked so much bigger up close! How the _hell_ was he supposed to do this? He swallowed, looking at the thick length and suddenly feeling very nervous.

Sasuke's erection was like solid marble, curving up his belly in a long arc. Naruto licked his lips; it looked delicious, waiting for him in that bored, superior way that was so much a part of Sasuke—more drops of fluid glistening proudly at the slit.

Sasuke stretched himself out like a cat, folding his hands behind his head and watching him gather the nerve to begin. Naruto glanced up his body, so ungodly beautiful in the soft moonlight, meeting Sasuke's challenging eyes with a determined glare of his own. Then he turned back to Sasuke's groin, focusing on the task at hand.

Naruto leaned forward, deciding to start at the top, licking the drops from its tip. He used his hand to hold Sasuke steady, reflecting on how it felt different than his own erection. He licked his tongue across that proud slit, tasting the salty-sweet droplets that had collected. Sasuke inhaled sharply, and Naruto couldn't help but glance up at his teammate. That had definitely been a happy noise, and so Naruto continued to lick the soft skin at the head until it glistened from his saliva.

Naruto braced himself, gathering his courage and opening his mouth wide, fitting his lips around Sasuke's erection. He started to take him into his mouth, but his lips caught on the skin of the shaft. '_More moisture,_' he dedided. Naruto backed off, using his wet tongue to lick soft, wide strokes all around him, and hearing Sasuke let out a soft moan. It made Naruto shiver with pleasure, and he started to relax, licking the surface of Sasuke's cock and making it slippery.

He tried again, this time taking it into his mouth more easily until it touched the back of his throat. He instinctively tensed then, unused to something so large poking him where he shouldn't be poked, and he withdrew so he could get used to the feel of it. He paused, still sucking gently at the tip while glancing up to see Sasuke's reactions.

His rival's eyes were heavy with arousal, watching him intently, and it made things in Naruto's belly tighten with anticipation. He wanted to see Sasuke cry out, lose a little bit of that rigidity he was so famous for. He wanted to see the expression on Sasuke's face when he made him come, and he wanted to know _exactly_ what he tasted like.

All these things flashed across Naruto's mind, and then he thought about what he should do to make those things happen. He thought about everything he'd learned about his teammate in this one evening, while he got used to the taste and texture and feel of him in his mouth. He increased his suction as he took him to the back of his throat again, remembering how Sasuke had reacted when he nibbled and sucked on his neck.

Sasuke let out a moan between clenched teeth, and Naruto wanted to grin. He'd definitely liked that! Naruto repeated the movement, holding him steady while increasing the suction as he moved back and forth.

He could hear Sasuke breathing faster through his parted lips. Naruto felt a surge of confidence—this was easy! It was kinda like eating Ramen; slurping the noodles quickly so your tongue didn't get burned. He concentrated on this, using his tongue as well as his fist to help guide how far back it went.

Sasuke made another noise of arousal, and Naruto was even more pleased with himself. This time he couldn't help it, and he grinned as he slid his mouth back down around Sasuke's length. For a second his teeth grazed the sensitive skin, and Sasuke twitched underneath him and cried out. Naruto froze—he hadn't meant to hurt him—

"_Don't stop_!" Sasuke urged, and Naruto had to look to be sure Sasuke really meant it.

That one look and Naruto knew he'd better comply immediately.

Naruto redoubled his efforts, sliding Sasuke's cock in and out of his mouth with slippery ease, maintaining the friction and adding experimental tongue licks whenever he changed directions. Sasuke was breathing harder, and Naruto could feel his thighs tense where they rested against his body. He jumped when he felt Sasuke's hand on his shoulder.

"_More_…" Sasuke's voice was breathy, squeezing his shoulder for emphasis.

'_More what_?' Naruto wondered, and so he did more of _everything_.

He was rewarded by a loud groan, and Sasuke's fingers gripping deeper into his shoulder. It hurt, but he was so excited that he was succeeding, Naruto didn't care. He'd heal whatever damage Sasuke did to him by morning anyways.

"_Unff, Naruto_…" Sasuke groaned his name, sending a thrill down his spine, then whispering, "More _teeth_…"

Naruto widened his eyes at this clarification—Sasuke _couldn't_ be serious! He almost froze again from the surprise, but Sasuke suddenly gripped his other shoulder, and Naruto heard his rival say a word he was pretty sure he hadn't ever heard before—

"_Pleeeease_…"

Naruto took one look into those pleading black eyes, and knew there was nothing he could ever deny Uchiha Sasuke.

With a growl of arousal, Naruto slid his lips back down Sasuke's cock, grazing his teeth gently along the length of him to as far deep as he could handle it. Sasuke groaned, and Naruto now recalled how much Sasuke had liked it earlier when he'd bit his neck; he should have known that Sasuke would like the feel of teeth _here_ as well.

It didn't take much longer before he heard Sasuke's breathing turn into panting, and then Sasuke's muscles started to tremble underneath him. Naruto's stomach flipped in giddy excitement; he was about to learn some of the most intimate things you could know about someone, and this was not just '_someone_' to him—this was his Most Precious Person.

His main warning was when Sasuke's back suddenly arched, and for a moment Naruto had a flash of fear—what if he choked! That would be really _embarrassing_! He watched with eager blue eyes as Sasuke threw back his head, making an erotic and deeply primal noise as he climaxed. But when Naruto tasted the milky-sweetness of his teammate's seed pouring over his tongue he swallowed automatically, and made sure to lick up every last drop.

It wasn't quite as salty as Ramen, but it was definitely a flavor he wanted to taste just as often.

Naruto slowly caressed the spent cock with his tongue, looking up Sasuke's body and grinning at his half-lidded expression of bliss. _That_ was certainly something he'd never seen before, and he memorized it, burning it into his brain for instant retrieval at any point in time.

Altogether pleased with himself, he sprang up on hands and knees and straddled his rival, moving closer and stroking his damp black hair back from his face. It made him even more pleased that Sasuke had broken out in a sweat. All his previous nervousness was gone, and he snuggled down against him and planted kisses all over his face, wiggling with glee.

"Ultimate moron," Sasuke chuckled, catching his mouth in a sensual kiss.

Naruto settled down, enjoying the knowledge that he'd made Sasuke happy, while wondering absently if Sasuke could taste his own personal flavor with his tongue reaching so far inside his mouth…

Naruto froze, feeling Sasuke's strong hands grab hold of his behind. Sasuke held him tight, kissing him thoroughly, and then moved his hands up along his back to sink into his blond hair. Naruto pulled back so he could see Sasuke's face, which was smirking wickedly at him.

"Naruto," he said, curling his fingers around the back of his head.

"What?" Naruto asked, not following the odd expression in front of him.

Sasuke quirked his mouth in a half-smile, taking a deep breath and sighing in satisfaction, "I _win_."

"WHAT!" Naruto started to argue, incited by the taunt, but Sasuke anticipated this reaction and pulled his head down, kissing away his protests. Naruto fumed against his lips. He so totally won, he made Sasuke come and he did it first! _Why did he have to be so aggravating_?

Sasuke held their lips together, and Naruto grudgingly calmed down enough for Sasuke to release him.

"Do you know what that means?" Sasuke asked, raising an eloquent eyebrow.

In an uncharacteristic role-reversal, Naruto simply glared.

Sasuke chuckled, pulling Naruto tight against his body and staring into his eyes. "You're _next_."

Naruto shivered at the heat of those words, and Sasuke rolled them to the side, reversing their positions and then re-centering Naruto in the middle of the small mattress. It was too much for Naruto to hope he'd actually be clumsy when maneuvering on his tiny bed. Sasuke kissed him again, long and slow, possessive, as if Naruto had forgotten who he was dealing with.

"I did say that I wanted a _snack_ before bedtime," Sasuke whispered the words right by his ear, probably knowing that his breath would make a thousand goose bumps scurry over his neck and shoulder, inciting a shiver of desire.

Naruto held his breath, feeling Sasuke start to lick a wet trail down the front of his body, lower and lower and lower…

_Good god_! If this was a snack–what would they have for _breakfast_?

* * *

--

* * *

Iruka sidled up behind Kakashi as he stood at the stove, cooking their breakfast in the late-morning sunshine and wearing only an old pair of shorts and a striped apron. Iruka smiled at this amusing habit of Kakashi's, love flooding into his heart and swelling it almost painfully in his chest; it chased away the anxiety that had collected there since he'd woken up that morning.

"I never did thank you for the crêpes yesterday," Iruka murmured, kissing the back of his neck and putting his hands in the front pockets of the apron.

Kakashi wiggled his ass against him, chuckling.

"Anything for you, Ru-Ru." Kakashi twisted his head and Iruka accepted the kiss, melting at the affection underneath the words.

"What are we having today," he asked, watching over Kakashi's shoulder as he stirred, adjusted and prepared their food effortlessly like the tensai he was.

Kakashi grinned. "Well, I'm a little low on groceries, but I did have enough eggs for some French toast."

"Mmm," Iruka said appreciatively, "You make really delicious French toast."

Kakashi pointed behind him, "I also made your favorite tea." Iruka pulled his hands out of the apron pockets and slipped his arms around Kakashi, giving him a long hug.

"How did you get to be so wonderful?" Iruka kissed his cheek, and then moved to the table and sat down behind the steaming mug.

"You inspire me," Kakashi winked over his shoulder, dipping bread into the egg mixture and laying it onto the griddle. The hissing sound it made while it cooked was pleasant, and Iruka sipped his tea quietly, trying not to think about what he needed to get off his chest.

He watched Kakashi, lost in his own thoughts as the Jounin cooked the toast and sliced some large juicy strawberries to go on top. His hands made sure movements with the knife, cutting each section of strawberry the exact same thickness. The smell of the eggs cooking wafted through the room, and Iruka was all too aware of his growling stomach. He sipped his tea to hide it.

Kakashi turned off the stove, artfully decorating their plates with the red fruit. When he was through, he set their breakfast at their habitual places, and handed Iruka one of the western utensils he kept around. Iruka smiled warmly, squeezing his arm, and they ate at leisure, enjoying the peace of being able to wake up and eat together without the pressures of their regular lives interfering.

Iruka was on his second cup of tea when Kakashi cleared his throat. "Iruka, you've been sighing for the last thirty minutes."

"I have?" Iruka was genuinely surprised; he didn't remember sighing.

Kakashi cleared their dishes away. He opened the refrigerator and took the container of strawberries back out, along with a can of whipped cream. He shook the can in one hand, and beckoned Iruka into his living room with a jerk of his chin, smiling an invitation.

Iruka knew Kakashi was trying to get him to loosen up, and he loved him for it, but he felt incredibly anxious about what he had to say. It was with a heavy step that he followed his lover into the living room, and curled up on the sofa, nestled in the corner with his feet tucked up underneath him.

He sipped his tea, and Kakashi, sprawled out on his back the way he preferred, stretched his long legs across his lap. Iruka rubbed his hand up and down one of Kakashi's calves, finding comfort in what he knew to be one of his nervous gestures.

"Alright," Kakashi chose a strawberry from the container balanced on his bare abs. "What's on your mind?"

He added some whipped cream and began to nibble while Iruka watched him. It was fascinating to watch Kakashi when he ate; Iruka had known him _masked_ for so long, it was still rather odd at times to be able to see his jaw as he chewed, or watch his lips form words.

Iruka sighed. He had no idea how this conversation would go. "I love you, you know," he said sincerely, touching Kakashi's knee and meeting his blue eye.

"Of course I know," Kakashi said jovially, putting aside the strawberries. Iruka followed the movement, glancing absurdly at the can of whipped cream. "I love you too. More than anything," Kakashi continued.

"I know," Iruka sighed.

"Why don't you sound happy about it, Iruka?" Kakashi asked, keeping his voice light, but Iruka could tell he was watching him closely, and probably trying to calculate all the possible things that could be bothering him.

Iruka bit his lip, meeting his eye for a long moment. "I'm going to enter the Hunt."

Kakashi blinked in surprise, "Oh?"

Iruka searched his face, his lips tightening.

"What's wrong with that?" Kakashi asked.

"Well… nothing," Iruka glanced away. "But you're entering too, right?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean anything," Kakashi folded his hands behind his head, his pose open and confident. "You're a Chuunin, I'm a Jounin. We're mostly going to be competing with the shinobi at our respective levels to see who goes onto the next round."

Iruka's brows creased, "Are you saying Chuunin aren't worth fighting?"

Kakashi shook his head, "No, not at all. But what if you and I were both Chuunin? Or Jounin?"

It was a good question. Kakashi paused, letting him draw his own conclusions before continuing.

"What I'm saying is, because we're lucky enough to be different ranks you and I don't _have_ to fight each other, unless we beat everyone else and are matched up in the second round," Kakashi concluded.

"And what if we are? Don't you think that's a possibility?" Iruka was watching him carefully.

"Iruka," Kakashi sighed, smiling gently, "Of course it's a possibility. You're a very strong ninja, or I wouldn't be so in love with you. So if it happens that we have to fight each other, it'll be a good one. Right?"

"I don't really want to fight you, Kakashi," Iruka sighed, "I mean, I _do_. But… I don't know if I could _fight you_-fight you, like you weren't my…" He looked away, "I'm not sure I could fight you like a true shinobi."

"Hmmm," Kakashi sat up, moving beside him on the couch. He pulled Iruka's legs out from underneath him, and stretched them across his lap, and then shifted so they were curled up together along the sofa's length.

"Being lovers makes this a bit complicated, it's true."

Iruka sighed, "I mean, I wasn't really thinking about entering, until we ran into your friends at the restaurant—"

"–Oh no, we're not back to that again—" Kakashi groaned.

"—they were so _obnoxious_! And it made me so angry, dismissing us as weaklings—"

"—I tried to tell you already, Asuma was obviously drunk, and Kurenai was just trying to keep him from starting something—"

Iruka put his finger against Kakashi's mouth to silence him, "—and it wasn't just _them_."

They just looked at each other, and then Iruka continued. "Sasuke did it too. He looked at me like I could never hit a bull's-eye in a million years."

Kakashi smirked, moving Iruka's finger, "Little does he know…"

Iruka gaped at the lewd innuendo, "Kakashi!"

Kakashi laughed, "Sorry, sorry." Then Kakashi pulled him into a close embrace. "Iruka, who cares what _Sasuke_ thinks? If you'd seen his face after you pulled off that trick shot, you'd know that he found it quite impressive. He might even try out to teach at the Academy now that he's seen how good you are."

Iruka chuckled, "That would _never_ happen."

"Hey, don't worry about Sasuke," Kakashi touched Iruka's cheek gently, "He's not even entering in the Hunt."

"_What_?" Iruka was completely shocked.

That didn't make any sense—Sasuke was… Well, Sasuke was the type that everyone automatically expected to win these sorts of things. And he was skilled enough to do it. _Maybe_.

"He told me himself," Kakashi confirmed, smiling, "Although…guess what?"

"What," Iruka asked, biting the obvious hook.

"He's helping Naruto get ready for the Hunt; they've been training together," Kakashi paused for a moment, thoughtful. "Actually, I think _Naruto's_ the one we both should be careful of. He's altogether unpredictable."

"Er…I already know a little about the training," Iruka flushed, "Naruto said he was so dirty he had to borrow clothes to get home."

Kakashi laughed loudly, "Not surprising," he grinned at Iruka. "Sasuke's training exercise involved _strawberries_ and _ninja wire_."

"Oh god!" Iruka gasped, covering his face in embarrassment, "_I_ taught him that training method when he was only nine years old! Well, not the _strawberries_ part."

Kakashi laughed with perverted glee, and Iruka felt himself turn a shade of red very close to the strawberries they ate for breakfast. Kakashi eventually took pity on him and changed the subject.

"Listen, let's not worry about what might happen in the Hunt. We can always set our own rules."

Iruka considered this. It was a reasonable idea. "Like what?"

"Hmmmmm," Kakashi bent and kissed the scar on his nose. "What if we agree not to fight each other during the first round."

Iruka bit his lip, "What if you happen to find me when I'm fighting someone else? I don't want you to interfere–" He trailed off, hearing how childish he sounded.

"I trust you to handle yourself," Kakashi gave him a quick squeeze. "Likewise I'm sure you trust me not to make any dumb moves," his chuckle made Iruka smile. "So we stay out of each other's fights. No exceptions."

Iruka nodded, "Okay."

"And if we do fight each other in the second round, I expect you to come at me with _everything_ you've got," Kakashi said, his voice serious, his blue eye unwavering.

Iruka swallowed, feeling excited at the possibility. They'd never even sparred, not really, since it would look too out of place if anyone caught them. They knew each other either intimately, or from a distance; this was an opportunity to be what they both truly were, together.

_Ninjas_.

"You can count on it," Iruka agreed, finding himself almost aroused at the idea.

"Of course," Kakashi dropped his voice to that sultry whisper, "There is another rule we could make…" He brushed his lips across Iruka's.

"What rule is that?" Iruka asked, snuggling closer and twining their bare feet.

"If we find each other and no one's around," Kakashi licked along his bottom lip, "We can always take a break from fighting and have sex instead."

Iruka smiled against his lips, "It's risky… but I like it." Kakashi kissed him then, all his worries driven away by Kakashi's very talented tongue.

Iruka sighed; but this time with contentment.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke had never, _ever_ slept so well.

His limbs felt completely relaxed, both heavy like he'd been dipped in lead, and light as if he would just float away if he so much as twitched. He felt so content, he was perfectly happy to lay still in this spot for the next ten years.

He inhaled slowly and exhaled, sighing and snuggling deeper into his blankets. The blankets shifted against him, cradling him in their protective warmth. '_What nice blankets, so thoughtful and considerate_.' He was grateful he had blankets like these to nestle against, to hold him snug, to stroke his hair softly and—

Sasuke stiffened, opening his eyes to the shock of the late morning sunlight.

He blinked, body instantly tense and ready to spring, his eyes flicking over the environment and not making sense of the colors or shapes. Instead, there was that calm, steady caress through his hair and he paused—something about this was familiar.

"Oi, sleepyhead."

He turned his head slowly towards the noise, raising his chin off the blankets, and looked right into a wide grin that had stopped his heart on more than one occasion. The grin belonged to a blue-eyed shinobi, hair tousled and eyes sparkling, and indeed—especially in the morning sunlight he was utterly, heart stopping _gorgeous_.

_Naruto_. Sasuke gasped when it sunk in. _Naruto_!

"I thought you'd never wake up," Naruto chuckled, stroking his hair from his face. Sasuke could only gawk at him.

"Er…" Sasuke realized he had no idea what to say.

He was lying mostly on top of Naruto, their legs entwined, and he could feel Naruto's strong arm angled across his back, holding their bodies tight together. He was very aware of exactly how naked they both were, and he felt absurdly grateful that there really was a blanket—a soft, thin blue blanket spread over his back, covering them both. Naruto was still chuckling, touching his cheek in a very tender way.

"Good. Now I don't have to wake you up!" Naruto began to shift them to the side, closer to the window, and Sasuke let him scoot out from under him.

"Be right back! Don't move!" Naruto's voice was loud and overly excited, and Sasuke clutched the blanket up to his chin as he watched his teammate be himself, skipping buck-naked to his bathroom and taking a very long piss.

Sasuke glanced around Naruto's apartment, littered with various clothing and training gear like some kind of bizarre laundry accident. He found he remembered where he was after all, and what they'd done after leaving their sensei—and just how overwhelmingly phenomenal all of it had been. His cheeks flushed brightly when he saw the actual evidence, scattered in a forensic nightmare all over the place.

What he didn't remember was feeling so shy—_that_ was new.

Sasuke looked over to the bathroom when he heard the flushing noise of the toilet, and felt his heart thud in his chest. So … what did they do now?

Naruto burst out of the door, hopping across the room like the frogs he summoned and made a giant leap for him. Sasuke held his breath, with no way to escape off of the narrow bed and only moments to brace himself before Naruto was landing on hands and knees on top of him.

He held the blanket protectively up to his chin, blinking into Naruto's face and trying to figure out what to do.

"Good morning! Sasuke!" Naruto said, catching his lips in a good morning kiss.

A flood of memories crashed into his brain at the feel of his teammate's lips, and Sasuke made a noise of surprise. His mouth was surprisingly tender—well, maybe not so surprising, considering—but more tender than he might have expected it to be.

He felt strangely proud. _This_ was secret evidence of their experiences together that he could carry with him for the rest of the day, his swollen lips a silent testimony that he had finally done some of the things he'd always wanted to do with Naruto. Before he could think too much about it, he opened his mouth and pulled Naruto closer, checking to see if he tasted the same as he had last night.

Naruto sank onto him, moaning appreciatively and stroking his fingers along his neck and into his black hair. Sasuke made similar noises as his neck blossomed in goose-bumps from it. He chuckled. Naruto had certainly surprised him by discovering things Sasuke hadn't even known about himself. It was a very strange experience, but an amazing one too.

Naruto was the one to break the kiss first, panting and laughing, and Sasuke just enjoyed the sight of him. "Good morning, Naruto."

"Alrighty," Naruto gave his cheek a quick peck, moving off of him, "What do you want for breakfast?"

Predictably, Sasuke's stomach growled. He placed his palm over it in dismay, recalling how little he'd eaten over the last day. He was _starving_. Naruto rummaged through his cabinets, revealing rows and rows of instant Ramen packages. He glanced back with a nervous smile, then looked in the fridge, then started going through the cabinets again more frantically. Sasuke smirked, deciding to spare him any embarrassment.

"Ramen is fine, Naruto."

"Really?" Naruto turned around, completely oblivious to his own nudity. Sasuke nodded, trying not to look, and knowing his cheeks were redder anyways.

Who would have thought Naruto would be _bigger_ than him?

Sasuke sat up, keeping the blanket tucked around his lower body, and tried to figure out which pile of fabric might be hiding his underwear in it. He glanced at Naruto, humming to himself and setting everything up for Ramen, and Sasuke slowly got up, looping the blanket around his hips and tucking it securely.

He wasn't shy. He was just being modest.

Sasuke rifled through the first clothing he came to, not finding what he was looking for. He grimaced when he got to their Yukata; Naruto's was bunched up and covered with—Sasuke flushed. It made sense–two guys meant _twice _the volume.

'_And twice the clean-up_,' he thought darkly. Sasuke held the Yukata carefully, trying to figure out the best way of un-sticking it; he didn't want to damage the very, very expensive fabric.

Naruto came over, laughing, "Oh wow, look what we did to Yondaime's Yukata! Tsunade-no-Baa-chan would probably kill me if she could see this!"

Sasuke looked at him, "Yondaime?" What the hell was he talking about?

"Oh yeah—I guess I didn't tell you yet. It's kind of a secret," Naruto grinned, taking the Yukata from his hands and looking it over. "Tsunade-no-Baa-chan let me borrow this from the Hokage closet. It was soooo awesome, Sasuke, you have to see it sometime, a whole room full of—"

"WHAT!" Sasuke cut him off. He couldn't be serious! This, _this_ was Yondaime's Yukata? No way!

"What?" Naruto said defensively, "It's not a big deal—"

"Not a big deal?" Sasuke was appalled, "You really mean that this is the Fourth's Yukata? This—" he pointed at the blue fabric, "—Belonged to the _Fourth_?"

"Yep!" Naruto was grinning from ear to ear.

"And we—no, _I_—" Sasuke couldn't even say it. It was horrifying. He—Uchiha Sasuke—had used _this_ to wipe sperm from their stomachs.

"It's okay, no big deal." Naruto sounded confident. "You know a lot about laundry, right? So I'm sure you can help me get it back to normal."

"The Fourth's…Yukata…" Sasuke was still stunned.

"And the coat, and the boots—" Naruto continued happily.

"The _coat_!" Sasuke moved quickly over to the doorway, relieved to find the coat relatively out of harm's way, tossed on top of something unrecognizably fluffy in the corner.

He picked up the coat and shook it gently, inspecting the embroidery and the pale gray surface for any damage. He could hear Naruto coming over to him as he swept his quick eyes over every inch of it, and it was a small comfort that this amazingly gorgeous coat had somehow been unaffected by their… er, _passion_.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto asked, holding up the blue Yukata, "You can fix this right? I mean, do we need to pre-wash it or something?"

Sasuke took a deep breath to calm himself, looking into Naruto's innocent blue eyes, and cursing himself for losing control no matter how good it felt at the time. He folded the coat over his arm, and folded his arms across his body in irritation. He nodded at the blue Yukata in Naruto's hands.

"Naruto. I have no idea how to clean that."

"_Ehhhhh_!" Naruto's jaw dropped. He held pleading hands out to Sasuke, "But wait a sec, wait a sec–I thought you knew everything about laundry! How can you not know what to do?"

"Tch," Sasuke glared, flushing, "How would I know how to clean… _that_, off of a priceless festival Yukata? You're going to have to take it to Kakashi-sensei."

Naruto dropped his hands in confusion, "Kakashi? Sensei?"

"_Who_ do you think taught me about pre-washing and stain removers?" Sasuke countered. "Kakashi knows more about clothing than anyone I know of; look at the Yukata he gave me."

They both glanced down at the artful heap of white silk at their feet. "But…" Naruto touched the back of his neck, "How will I explain…"

He flushed, looking up into Sasuke's eyes, and Sasuke felt a flutter in his stomach. God Naruto was so cute, shuffling his feet like he'd done in the hallway last night. It annoyed him that Naruto's cuteness lessened how annoyed he was.

Sasuke sighed, "Kakashi's a pervert. Let him think what he wants."

Naruto smiled, pulling him close and kissing him full on the mouth. "I'll go see him before registration then."

Sasuke nodded, and Naruto set the stained Yukata out of the way and returned to the stove. The water was boiling now, and Naruto poured it into their Ramen, "Three minutes 'till breakfast!" He announced, grinning.

Sasuke resumed his search for underwear, smiling on the inside, "Moron."

"What are you looking for?" Naruto asked, standing with hands on hips as Sasuke carefully and methodically went through the scattered clothing.

"Where did my underwear go?" He asked, holding onto the Fourth's coat so he knew it wouldn't get messed up.

"Oh, ummm," Naruto went right to them and picked them up, his voice threaded with guilt as he handed them over. "I kinda ripped them on one side, sorry."

Sasuke held them up; sure enough, they were completely ruined. Oddly, he didn't feel like complaining.

"But hey! You can wear some of mine," Naruto ran over to his dresser and pulled out some bright orange boxer-briefs. He held them up triumphantly, beaming. Sasuke's face must have answered before his lips had formed the word _NO_, for Naruto started laughing and hastily pulled out a black pair.

"Just kidding!" He handed them over, kissing his cheek before turning to go check on the Ramen.

Sasuke swatted his bare butt-cheek, "Put some clothes on, idiot."

His heart flipped at the uninhibited grin Naruto flashed him, before detouring back to his dresser and winking at him as he pulled on the bright orange underwear.

Sasuke tossed the blanket aside, and pulled on the black pair. He felt the corner of his mouth curl in a smile, watching his rival move around his small apartment with typical energy. He'd never admit it, but Naruto almost made him _like_ the color orange.

Sasuke walked to the kitchen table, choosing one of the empty chairs and seating himself patiently. The fact that there were several to choose from was a clear reflection of Naruto; even though he lived alone, he seemed to live with the unquestioned belief that there would someday be people to eat meals with him. It was something Sasuke loved about Naruto; he was so open and honest. He made friends easily; a natural talent.

"I was thinking, Sasuke," Naruto brought over their Ramen, passing him some chopsticks, "Why don't you come to registration for the Hunt so you can see who else is there?"

Sasuke shook his head, stirring the hot noodles and remembering the stares and whispers of the townspeople the night before, not to mention the taunting sneer of Asuma.

"Er, I don't think that would be a good idea." He watched as Naruto slurped up some noodles. "You'll just have to remember everything and tell me who was there."

"Well okay," Naruto agreed, using his chopsticks to gather the next bite. "I'll do my best, but you've got a better memory." Naruto flashed him a brilliant grin, and Sasuke's stomach flipped at the compliment.

"Maybe so," he said, thinking, "But people talk more easily around you. You'll probably get more information than I would." He lifted some noodles to his lips and slurped.

Naruto finished the last of his noodles, and drank the broth. Sasuke watched him, swallowing his own noodles as his brain started to analyze and strategize. The familiar mental process felt comforting.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto set his Styrofoam cup down, and crossed his hands behind his head, leaning back. Sasuke quirked an eyebrow, sipping his own broth and waiting for his teammate to continue.

"I'm glad you're not competing against me," Naruto said, his mouth quirking into a smile, "But I _do_ like to fight you."

Sasuke smirked, setting down his empty cup. "Believe me, Moron. We're still going to fight."

Naruto's grin lit up the whole kitchen, and Sasuke felt shivers at the thought of their next sparring session. He wanted it to be _soon_. Sasuke leaned his elbows on the table, folding his arms casually.

"I have to go back to my house. I want to check on something."

"You're coming back, right?" Naruto asked quickly, and it made Sasuke want to smile.

"After registration, why don't you come to my house? Then you can tell me everything you saw and heard." Sasuke thought about Itachi, and the secret room. He needed to go there again, see if there was anything he'd missed that might help Naruto win.

Naruto teased, "But your house is so far away…"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, holding his gaze. "_Exactly_."

He stood up, moving around to Naruto's side of the table. He lifted his hands to stroke along Naruto's shoulders, feeling the smooth tan skin and curved muscles underneath it. "May I borrow some clothing to get home?"

Naruto didn't miss the irony, laughing and standing up. "I think I have something that will fit."

He went to his dresser, and Sasuke wasn't at all surprised when he held up the black shirt with the wide collar, complete with Uchiha crest—the exact same one that Sasuke had sent Naruto home in after their training.

"I uh, slept in it though… so it's not exactly clean," Naruto chuckled.

Sasuke just took it from him, slipping it over his head. It smelled of him, and of _Naruto_; Sasuke didn't mind at all.

Naruto miraculously produced a pair of black shorts from a closet bursting with orange; they were close enough in size that he didn't need a belt. Glad he could wear at least one thing from his festival outfit, Sasuke fastened his boots with practiced ease, and picked up the knapsack that Naruto was lending him to carry his other things home.

"I'll ask Kakashi-sensei about this too," Naruto grinned, holding the shredded white sash in his hand.

Sasuke stood by the door, the knapsack hanging on his shoulder. Naruto was close, running the sash through his fingers and looking at him. It was awkward, and Sasuke wasn't sure exactly why.

He cleared his throat, "So don't forget anything you see or hear at registration. It's absolutely vital that we learn as much as possible–what you'll be looking for, where it will be held, and who you're up against."

"I know, I know," Naruto grinned, rolling his eyes.

Sasuke tightened his lips, hoping Naruto knew how serious this was. He almost wished he could go along, but that would cause way too many problems. He'd just have to trust Naruto to remember everything. …Or at least the most important stuff.

"And I'll come report to you when it's over," Naruto winked, "Okay? Uchiha-_sensei_?"

Sasuke started to glare, but Naruto stepped over to him, just far enough away so they weren't actually touching.

"You know, my place is _closer_…" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Sasuke smirked.

"My place has a bigger _bed_," he countered.

"Well I have a bigger—"

Naruto almost said the word, but Sasuke stopped it with a kiss, feeling Naruto's laughter bubbling right behind his lips. He resisted the urge to shake his head, reaching around Naruto's back instead and pulling him close. After kissing him thoroughly, Sasuke pulled back, hearing that delicious little smacking noise he was starting to love so much.

He smirked, "No need to brag, dead last."

Naruto's laughter followed him out into the hall, and Sasuke closed the door behind him, taking a deep breath and resisting the urge to grin just as wide as his teammate. He sighed, leaning back into the door for a moment, and thinking on everything that had happened. He almost didn't believe it, and he touched his lips to make sure they were still tender.

He finally turned to leave, and tripped on something in the doorway. He looked down, appalled that he hadn't noticed what was sitting there, and then he bit his lip sharply to contain the absurd urge to laugh. He knocked on Naruto's door.

"Er…just a minute!"

He heard Naruto running away from the door, probably to get some pants, and then heard him bounding back. When he flung open the door, Sasuke enjoyed the look of surprise on his face. He really _had_ put on pants.

Sasuke held out the bag of explosives, "I think you forgot about this."

Naruto grinned, taking it from him, "And here I thought you just wanted to kiss me again!"

Sasuke stepped over the threshold, kissing him hotly and shutting the door behind them. "_Ultimate moron_," he murmured, pulling Naruto close and allowing the blond to back him up against the door again, kissing him like it was their last chance.

It was another twenty minutes before Sasuke left, darting towards his house so fast that nobody could see the almost-smile that wouldn't quite leave his face.

* * *

[to be continued...]


	10. Chapter 10

**

* * *

**

**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 10:

* * *

Iruka moved slowly up the aisle of the supermarket, biting his lip and feeling self-conscious.

He hadn't seen anyone looking at him strangely, but he couldn't shake the paranoia that somehow everyone around him knew that these _weren't his clothes_. He'd rolled up his sleeves, so you couldn't tell the navy shirt was a little too big, and he'd left the flak jacket undone. Kakashi wasn't that much bigger than he was, but since he was taller the proportions were off.

Iruka glared inwardly for not keeping more of his clothes at Kakashi's; he hadn't considered what he'd wear home after the festival. The Yukata was out of the question—too many people would recognize him and realize he'd spent the night somewhere other than home. He didn't even want to think how the rumor-mill would run rampant with that information; mothers just like Keiko-chan's had been bugging him for years to start adding his own students to the Academy, instead of just teaching theirs.

Thank _god _he was gay.

He couldn't imagine having to borrow clothes from a woman so he could stop at the supermarket on his way home. And unless somehow Sharingan Kakashi learned how to get pregnant—and Iruka felt it was safe that he _wouldn't_, tensai or not—there would be no little Umino flooding the Ninja Academy.

Iruka rounded the corner, adding a few things to his basket and approaching the aisle near the pharmacy with more than a little trepidation. Of course, being gay had its share of embarrassment. He'd _never_ have passed his personal supply of lube to Naruto if he'd thought Kakashi might not have some, and he wasn't at all satisfied with Kakashi's excuse for not having his within arm's reach.

Iruka frowned. Actually, Kakashi hadn't given him an excuse at all. Sneaky bastard.

He knew it was irrational, but he just couldn't relax until he knew his entire apartment was completely re-stocked; he never wanted another scare like the night before. Sure, they _could_ have sex without lube, but who would want to? It was ridiculous. They were definitely going to have to have another talk about what happened.

Iruka sighed, smiling and nodding politely to an acquaintance from the Academy. It was kind-of a toss-up as to what was worse: Buying a lot of it at once, or getting one bottle at a time and having to repeat the process over and over. He scrunched up his toes, grateful to be wearing his own, familiar sandals.

He headed casually over to his destination, watching the other shoppers unobtrusively. He picked up a bottle of vitamins, pretending to read the back of the label while mentally urging the one customer in the aisle to just find what they needed and scram.

He hastily set the bottle down when more people entered the aisle from both ends, two of the newcomers recognizing each other and starting to chat aimlessly. Iruka cursed under his breath, slipping away and heading for the freezer section.

Maybe he'd get chocolate ice-cream first.

* * *

--

* * *

Naruto dried himself off, feeling more energetic than ever now that he was clean.

He grinned at his reflection, hardly believing that last night had really happened. Of course, for him, last night had never ended—he'd been too excited to go to sleep, too thrilled to be able to watch Sasuke fall asleep instead.

Who would have thought _Uchiha Sasuke_ would ever be snuggling so tightly against him in his bed? He'd dreamed it often enough—this time he'd wanted to experience every single second.

Naruto walked out of the bathroom, eyeing the piles of his gear and clothing strewn everywhere and grinning even wider the evidence of their activities. He dressed quickly in his orange training suit, smiling at the familiar feel of his Hokage necklace against his skin, and then straightened up the apartment. He'd have made sure at least his floor was clear if he'd thought for a second that he'd be rolling around on it.

Once that was taken care of, he got out a knapsack to carry the stained Yukata to Kakashi's house. He laughed, remembering Sasuke's horrified expression after learning that the Yukata actually belonged to the Fourth.

"Heh," he grinned, putting the Yukata carefully into the bag, "_Somebody_ sure had some fun, ne?"

He wasn't exactly looking forward to visiting Kakashi, but Sasuke was right about one thing—their Jounin sensei was certainly enough of a pervert to know exactly what had occurred. With any luck, he'd be spared a full explanation.

Naruto was positive his sensei would know exactly what happened as soon as he saw the evidence anyway, and so he knew there was no point in trying to cover up _who_ he'd been with—this was Hatake Kakashi, after all. He would either figure it out, or he'd have heard it from Iruka… though Naruto didn't believe Iruka would share the secret, even with his boyfriend.

He frowned, adding the white sash to the knapsack and thinking about Iruka. It was obvious how much Iruka cared about Kakashi, and the feelings seemed mutual. So how did Iruka figure out that Kakashi wanted to do… _that_? Kakashi sure didn't look like he had any complaints.

There had to be a way to get Sasuke to quit fighting him all the time—_god_ he was so stubborn!

Naruto grinned, thinking about his pencil case, already packed in another bag for his upcoming overnight stay at Sasuke's house. He was fairly confident that things would go like they had the night before.

But how did you get from what they'd done, to what he _really_ wanted to do?

It was hard to concentrate on what he had to learn about the Hunt when he was so preoccupied by thoughts of Sasuke. He was amazed by how much more his rival filled his mind and heart than ever before—and he'd already thought it was a lot. Naruto didn't know what he was more excited about: finally hearing the details of how he'd be fighting against the top shinobi in Konoha, or getting to see Sasuke again, in his giant house, in his giant bed–

He shook himself. He'd never get anywhere if he kept thinking in that direction. First things first. Sasuke would be at his house for the rest of the afternoon; he'd better just go on to Kakashi-sensei's and pray he had some special jutsu for cleaning a "priceless festival Yukata," as Sasuke had aptly termed it.

He glanced into the corner by his front door at the misshapen, fluffy heap that had once been a comforter only a few days ago and grimaced at his attempt at washing and drying by hand. That was the _last_ time he would ever try to use his jutsus for non-combat purposes.

Rasengan was clearly not for laundry.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke sped towards the Uchiha district overtop the bustling streets of Konoha.

The food vendors and various merchants were doing a great deal of business, and many shinobi were still enjoying the festival atmosphere even after the mass intoxication inspired by _First Night_. Sasuke spared it all barely half a glance; his thoughts were centered on one blond, hyperactive, incredibly sexy ninja that would be coming to his house later on—and whose kisses were still burning on his lips.

Sasuke's mouth quirked in a half-smile, remembering Naruto's face as he leapt through the air to land on him and say good-morning in an entirely new way. Sasuke's belly tightened in giddy excitement, and then he flinched in embarrassment.

Since when did an _Uchiha_ ever feel giddy excitement?!

He shook himself as he leapt through the air, trying to focus on the things he needed to get done before Naruto came over. He had no idea how long registration would take, and he wanted everything to be just perfect.

Sasuke's lips thinned. He was understandably worried about what Naruto would think was important enough to include in his report. It wasn't that Naruto had a bad memory… just more like he tended to forget that he actually _could_ remember lots of things. He smirked, a hundred percent sure that Naruto would remember _everything_ they'd experienced last night.

This time he didn't fight the feeling of giddy excitement, and let his mind settle on the visions he had for later that afternoon, and evening, and all through the night… God, he was becoming as perverted as Kakashi.

Sasuke landed on the nearest rooftop, kneeling and catching his breath. He thought about his pencil case and the gift inside it that he fully intended to use with Naruto. Accident or not, Kakashi had shared with him through their unique jutsu how incredible sex could be, but there was one thing that was bothering him:

How in the world had Iruka gotten Kakashi to agree to… to want to… to _beg for_…?

Sasuke flushed hard enough that he covered his face in his hands for a minute, grateful for his high collar and long bangs to conceal any other tell-tale redness. He peered through his fingers, watching the activity down on street level to distract himself.

Evidently most of Konoha had the next few days off, and thus the streets would have a constant flow of party-goers until the Closing Ceremony after the Hunt. There were performers making their colorful way through the markets, blending with the stands of fresh produce and entertaining the younger shinobi that were out with their families.

The kids probably enjoyed having a break from school, and the parents probably appreciated having something exciting for them to do other than make mischief around the house. Sasuke watched them for a few minutes, laughing and clapping their small hands as the dancers swirled past Ichiraku's.

_'That's right!'_ Sasuke's eyes settled on the familiar restaurant as he quickly ran through his mental catalogue of the contents of his pantry, and pursed his lips. He definitely didn't have enough food for two teenagers, much less two teenagers who'd be… er, constantly working up an appetite.

He also didn't want to be caught without any _Ramen_—he could just imagine Naruto's face if he couldn't have some whenever he wanted it.

Sasuke jumped down from the roof, sandals glancing off of railings, balconies and drainpipes until he was in the midst of all the festivities. He ran his fingers through his black hair and straightened his shirt, brushing off some of the Konoha dust that speckled the front of it. As he wasn't too far from the supermarket, he made his way through the thick crowds and grabbed a basket on his way in the door, his brain making quick calculations about what to buy.

He went through the produce first, selecting some bananas, and looking over the cabbage; maybe he'd make Gyoza–

_"Oh my God, it's him!" _

Sasuke froze, hearing the strangled gasps and hushed whispers of at least two ladies in the aisle behind him. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, his heart sinking with the flood of unpleasant memories, the only unpleasant ones of the night before. He cursed under his breath.

_"Do you think he's going to be in the Hunt?"  
"—well my husband says—"  
"—I know I sure wouldn't want to compete against—"_

Sasuke added a perfect cabbage to his basket, and slowly turned on his heel, to meet the ladies' eyes with an angry glare. They froze where they stood under his dark gaze, until he raised one eyebrow for emphasis. Then they both jumped, making tiny squeaks and rushing away as fast as they could.

Sasuke sighed; maybe he really should have worn something _orange_. He grimaced and continued his shopping, trying not to look like anyone suspicious.

With his basket overflowing with cartons of Ramen, Sasuke made his way to the tea aisle, feeling very prickly from being watched no matter where he went in the store. He wondered if this sort of thing would let up after the festival was over; it was really getting on his nerves. He'd stopped looking at the other customers, not wanting to know whether anyone hiding and whispering was someone he'd recognize. Somehow he knew that would be even worse.

Grabbing a box of green-ginger tea, he quickly turned the corner, wanting to get to the check-out as soon as possible. He swiveled and missed crashing into the shinobi standing there, but their two baskets collided sending cartons of Ramen skidding across the floor in all directions. Sasuke turned around to excuse himself, and halted in surprise.

"Sasuke- kun!" the other man said, looking equally surprised and adjusting his open flak-jacket. He bent down to pick up a Ramen carton by his foot.

Sasuke's speech abilities were temporarily impaired by the rush of relief at recognizing his sensei, followed by a wave of embarrassment. He shook off the strange feeling of being caught doing something naughty, glancing at the various customers who were watching them, attracted by the sounds of the crash.

He knelt and helped return the Ramen cartons to his basket, "Hello, Iruka-sensei."

"I didn't expect to see you… so soon…er…" Iruka blushed, looking away and handing over a carton of Ramen.

"Er, yes… I was just…" Sasuke felt his own cheeks redden, seeing Iruka eyeing the contents of his basket.

Why did Ramen suddenly seem so _embarrassing_? He wondered if Iruka could tell that he'd spent the night at Naruto's, and touched his neck subconsciously where he could still feel the slight imprints of Naruto's teeth.

Iruka was now glancing up, probably taking in the faces of the people watching them. Sasuke watched Iruka's brows crease, and the teacher pulled his own basket closer, almost protectively. Sasuke couldn't help but look in it, though all he could see under some ice-cream was a magazine, covering whatever else he had in there.

Iruka caught his eye, "I see people are still…" He gestured with his chin towards the closest clump of people whispering. Sasuke recognized the attempt to redirect his attention. It made him curious.

"Unfortunately," Sasuke nodded, brows creasing. He placed the last of the Ramen into his basket, and the two of them stood up.

He wished they were alone! There were so many things he was curious about, even if the idea of asking anyone about anything made him cringe. Supposing he _was_ able to swallow his pride enough, there was no way he could take advantage of the opportunity here, especially with people acting the way they were.

"Iruka-sensei, are you er… busy right now?" Sasuke watched Iruka move his basket in front of his body, draping an arm across to block anyone's view. If it didn't seem so unlikely, he'd have thought Iruka was nearly as uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the onlookers as he was.

Iruka glanced at the people around them, his pulse thumping visibly in his neck, "I have a few minutes…"

"The tea shop, around the corner," Sasuke suggested.

"In ten," Iruka agreed, and they both turned and disappeared in opposite directions.

Sasuke made his way to the check out stand, bundled his groceries into the knapsack as best he could, and went to get a table for two. The shop was nearly empty; most of Konoha was outside enjoying the sunny weather and festival activities. The waiter looked particularly pleased to have someone to serve, and was quick to seat Sasuke and fuss over bringing the tea.

Sasuke was sipping his tea when Iruka arrived and took the chair opposite him, placing his bags under the table.

"Tea?" Sasuke offered, pouring when Iruka nodded. Iruka smiled gently, accepting the cup. He blew on the surface of the liquid and then took a tiny sip.

"I suppose you'd like to know why people are so interested in you."

Sasuke glanced away before responding, "No. I already know."

"Oh," Iruka's voice was surprised, and he watched him carefully, sipping. "I'm sorry, I thought that's what you wanted to talk about." Sasuke sipped his own tea, and they both remained silent.

It felt awkward. No, _more_ than awkward. This was the first time Sasuke had ever really been out with Iruka, just the two of them, and though he had many questions on the edge of his tongue he wasn't at all sure he could get any of them out. At least with Kakashi he didn't need to use words—they had Isshin-no-jutsu. He sighed. Making conversation wasn't something he enjoyed under any circumstances.

The two sat for several more minutes, sipping their tea quietly. Eventually the silence got to be too much for Iruka, who cleared his throat.

"So… what's up?"

Sasuke flashed through several possible answers. He cleared his throat, nervous, "I… wanted to thank you. For inviting me and Kakashi-sensei to the festival with you." He hoped it would be enough of an opening.

Iruka smiled warmly, "Oh, it was no problem; I hope you had a lot of fun."

Sasuke raised his brows, and Iruka suddenly straightened up, realizing the double meaning of what he'd said and flushing in embarrassment.

"I did," Sasuke glanced away, and then met Iruka's eyes. His cheeks colored. "But I hope to have _more_ fun. _Tonight_."

Iruka's face was turning redder than Sasuke would have thought possible. He didn't want to picture what he might look like, shifting his knees before continuing.

"I'm sure you know by now, about me and…"

Iruka looked away, and then nodded, wrapping his hands around his tea cup.

"And I know about you and…" Sasuke didn't say the name; Iruka should know who he meant.

Iruka closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He sighed in resignation, "I thought you might know. Although I'm surprised Na—er… your teammate told you."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows in surprise, "He _didn't_."

"What?" Iruka looked up at that.

Sasuke felt himself flushing, shaking his head in dismay, "I didn't even know he knew."

Iruka was pensive. "Then how—"

"—I guessed," Sasuke lied quickly, realizing he'd better avoid having to explain just how much he really knew, and from whom. But Naruto… how would _he_ know? He felt very annoyed by the idea that Naruto might have known about their sensei for longer than he had.

Iruka frowned and sipped his tea, setting down the mug and wrapping his hands back around it protectively. Then he sighed.

"Well I guess it's good to get this out in the open, at least between _us_."

"Yes," Sasuke agreed, and another silence settled over them.

Sasuke could feel his stomach churning; the instinct to avoid uncomfortable conversations warred with the desire to find out what it took to persuade your teammate to… er… quit being so _stubborn_. He gritted his teeth. Dammit, he wasn't a Genin anymore, he could do this!

"My _other_ sensei," Sasuke began, feeling extremely uncomfortable. "You really love each other."

"Er, of course," Iruka's voice trailed off with an edge of wary anticipation. His knuckles were white where he clenched the tea mug.

Sasuke pushed on, "So when you first… er… How did you… manage to… er, convince…"

How could he say it, when he could barely even _think_ the words? His brows creased in annoyance, and he looked into his tea so that he didn't have to see Iruka's face.

Iruka leaned his face into his hands, "Sasuke."

Sasuke looked up, "Yes?"

Iruka took a deep breath, "If you're asking… er, I really think that your _other_ sensei might… well, he might be better at giving advice…"

Sasuke blushed, folding his arms across his chest, "I'm not sure he can help with _this_."

Iruka brushed the hair back from his face nervously, "No seriously, he's really very good… er… with this sort of thing… I think…"

Sasuke shook his head, "I think _you're_ the one I need to talk to."

"Oh." Iruka leaned his elbows on the table, one hand clutching his tea mug for comfort. "Er… really? But—"

"—I think you and I have more in common," Sasuke looked at him directly, trying to insinuate the underlying meaning with his eyes.

Iruka paled, and then colored, "Ah…" Iruka laughed nervously, touching his neck from shyness. "But, I'm not… I mean… actually I'm the… er…"

"I _know_." Sasuke said, his cheeks matching Iruka's.

He glanced around, then dipped his finger into his tea and drew the word with liquid strokes on the surface of the table, upside down so Iruka could read it: _Seme_.

Iruka's jaw dropped, and then his hand shot out and smeared the word under his palm, looking around to make sure nobody else could have seen it. Sasuke squirmed as Iruka turned absolutely crimson. He shifted in his seat and crossed his arms tight against his body, relieved that Iruka was choosing to look at the floor, since his own face was burning hot and uncomfortable, far worse than any sunburn he'd ever had.

Suddenly Iruka's embarrassment shifted into something angrier, his voice hissing through his teeth, "I can't believe he told you _that_!" Iruka scowled, though not at Sasuke directly.

Sasuke flinched anyways, even though he knew that Iruka meant it for Kakashi. "He didn't."

"That is something you could only have learned from _him_," Iruka insisted, tapping his foot impatiently under the table.

"N-no—" Sasuke tried to defend Kakashi, "I just… _knew_."

"Tch," Iruka commented, shifting in his chair and looking for all the world like he was inventing severe punishments for the Jounin.

Sasuke didn't think it would help to explain to Iruka the details of _Isshin-no-jutsu_, or he and Kakashi's first experiment with it, so he said nothing. This was going horribly, horribly _wrong_.

Eventually, Iruka closed his eyes, gritting his teeth before saying his name in a tone that usually meant detention. "_Sasuke_."

Sasuke looked up. He knew better than to draw attention to himself when Iruka was angry. He'd watched the teacher scold Naruto too many times to have ever given Iruka the chance to yell at _him_.

"…Yes?"

"I'm not going to force you to tell me how you knew," Iruka turned and looked him in the eye. Sasuke swallowed. He really had forgotten how scary Iruka could be. The teacher continued, "But I do want to clear something up, since we're on the subject."

Sasuke nodded, relaxing enough for his arms to rest more casually against his chest.

Iruka sighed, gaining some of his usual composure, "We're definitely _not_ going to get into details."

Sasuke shook his head in agreement. He didn't want to hear any of Iruka's, nor did he want to have to share his own–now that he actually _had_ details to share. Thank god Iruka wasn't perverted, at least not in the same way as Kakashi.

"But it would be wrong for me to let you keep thinking that …" Iruka faltered, and flushed, "That… er, that it has to be only one way."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, "You mean you… you let…?"

Iruka flushed, tucking that stray piece of hair more securely behind his ear, "Sure."

"Seriously?!" Sasuke blurted out, shocked.

There was no way he would let Naruto do that. None. Not with such a huge… And even if it _wasn't_ so huge, he just couldn't imagine _Naruto_ doing that to _him_. Not when the blond was so damn cute squirming and clinging to him while they kissed… Especially while he licked Naruto's ears, or his tummy, or the inner curve of his back right along his spine…

Sasuke turned his attention back to his sensei, watching Iruka shift in his chair, bringing his tea up to his lips and sipping. The teacher's next words were soft and heartfelt.

"It's good no matter which way you do it, if you're with someone you love."

Sasuke flushed so red he wondered if his collar might start steaming, "Oh. I see."

He believed it; he had Kakashi's memory to prove it. And part of him _was_ a little curious… and Naruto had certainly figured out how to please him… and a _lot_ quicker than he'd ever have expected…

"You and Na—" Iruka flushed, rubbing the back of his neck, "You'll just have to figure out what works for you both the best."

Sasuke nodded, regarding Iruka intently. He shifted his legs, trying not to think too hard about how many more hours it would be before he saw Naruto again. He'd thought the festival events had lasted forever, when all he'd wanted was a simple kiss.

But it was so much harder to get through _this one afternoon_, knowing that Naruto would be coming to his house, and knowing that not only would they kiss, they'd probably do a whole lot more.

A _lot_ more than they had the night before.

He shivered with anticipation, his belly already tingling at the idea of having Naruto naked again. He couldn't wait to slowly and systematically unlock all the secrets of his rival's body, especially since the idiot so thoroughly filled his heart. He'd figure out on his own exactly how to make Naruto want him, and _beg_ for it.

Feeling significantly more confident, he sipped his tea, enjoying the now-companionable silence with Iruka, who was quietly enjoying his tea with a wistful expression on his face.

* * *

--

* * *

Kakashi hummed to himself, seated on his living room floor and polishing the boots he'd worn to _First Night_.

It wouldn't do just to return them to their spot with the rest of his combat gear without ensuring they were in top condition for whenever he needed them again. Along with the matching Sai, he had spread out a variety of other weapons on his table to be sharpened and polished. It wasn't a bad idea to go ahead and get them ready in advance, even though he wouldn't know until after registration which weapons he'd want to use in the Hunt.

Ah, the Hunt.

Kakashi was excited about participating for the first time. The disappointment of not competing in the last Hunt still tasted bitter, even after ten long years. For one thing, he hadn't been qualified—or rather he'd been _overqualified_, being an ANBU captain at the time. And in any case Sandaime had given him a special mission, which had had some unexpected results.

At least this time he was free to compete with the other Jounin. He smirked behind his mask, imagining finding Iruka in the dark forest for some perverted fun, his eyes flicking to his bulging laundry basket waiting by the door for his planned trip to the Laundromat.

After a night like the last one, there wasn't anything that could ruin his mood today, not even some new and bizarre challenge from Gai.

Kakashi set the first boot aside and began to work on the second one, his blue eye flicking up to the roof when he sensed the unmistakable presence of his blond student. It piqued his curiosity; Naruto usually didn't visit him at his apartment. His eye followed the chakra signature across the ceiling and down the wall as Naruto came to his front door.

"Oi, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto called loudly as he pounded on the door, "Can I come in?"

Kakashi smirked, wondering what on earth Naruto could want, and getting excited at the unexpected prospect of finding out some gossip so soon. He was intensely curious about what had happened with Sasuke after the two of them left last night. Sasuke might have been able to hide most of the details from him, but Kakashi was sure he could get Naruto to spill _everything_.

"It's open, Naruto," he called out, remaining where he was. He fixed a friendly smile beneath his mask as Naruto bounded into his apartment.

"Hi, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto's smile was huge, beaming at him like the sun through a microscope as he kicked off his sandals in the doorway.

"Yo," he replied, smirking. Oh yes, somebody else _clearly _had had some fun last night!

"I uh… oh cool! Where'd you get these?"

Naruto dropped the knapsack he'd been carrying, and reached to the table, grabbing the Sai and twirling them around experimentally. Kakashi watched him, checking his neck for hickeys or any other signs of passion, feeling mildly disappointed when he found none. Maybe the Kyuubi had healed them. He made a mental note to check Sasuke sometime later; maybe he'd stop by after registration.

"I found them in the back of my closet," Kakashi replied, watching with an amused smirk as Naruto pantomimed fending off multiple enemies with the gleaming weapons. Naruto was lost in his own game, twirling and stabbing the air, face sparkling with his boyish grin as he taunted his imaginary foes. _'My-my, what energy we have today!'_

Kakashi felt his smirk spread into a knowing smile. "What's up, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto slowed mid-motion and dropped his arms to his sides, his cheeks flushing deeply at the question. Kakashi felt his belly flip–this was going to be good!

"I uh," Naruto returned the Sai to the table, resting a hand on his neck nervously, "I actually need some help… fixing something."

"Oh?" Kakashi raised his brows. Naruto plopped down on the floor opposite him, grabbing his knapsack and opening the clasps with soft clicks.

"Sas—_er_, heh-heh, I mean _I_ figured you'd be the right person to bring this to…" Naruto's voice was nervous, and Kakashi watched closely across the surface of the table to see what Naruto would reveal.

The blond lifted his hands, holding a bunched-up wad of fabric the same blue color as his festival Yukata.

"Do you think there's a way to get this… um, back to normal?" He asked, showing the areas stuck together by something crusty-whitish—

Kakashi's heart lurched painfully in his chest when his eye made sense of what the fabric bundle was, and what substance was currently sticking it together. A flare of anger licked out from his chest and wiped the smile from his lips.

"I know it looks bad," Naruto chuckled nervously, looking down at the mess and trying to shake out some of the wrinkles, "But it can be cleaned right?"

He looked at Kakashi hopefully, and the Jounin felt his heart lurch again at the innocent plea behind those blue eyes. His teeth clenched underneath his mask. He put down the boot and polishing brush, wiping his hands on the buffing rag by his leg. It took some effort to keep his voice normal.

"Don't put that down here. The table's not clean," he said, rising and going into his kitchen. He went to his sink and began to wash his hands, scrubbing off the oil and polish that stained his naked skin.

Kakashi used the chance to furrow his brows and scowl while Naruto couldn't see it. He heard him follow into the kitchen, shuffling his feet in the doorway, and Kakashi calculated that he had about ten seconds to sort through his emotions enough to address the situation at hand logically.

Dear god. Why did it have to be _Yondaime's_ Yukata? Didn't Naruto have any idea how special it was? Didn't he understand how incredibly lucky he'd been to even see it, much less _wear_ it to a festival? Tsunade-sama must have been out of her mind, loaning it to _him_. How in the world had Naruto convinced her to do such a thing? Kakashi didn't even want to think what Yondaime would say, if he could see it right now.

Kakashi sighed. _Minato-sensei._ Yondaime. God, he really should be over him by now.

It had been painful enough last night to think for a second that he was alive, only to discover that it was just Naruto's uncanny resemblance now that he was almost eighteen. _This_ felt even worse, seeing Naruto so giddy and energetic, so obviously beside himself with happiness the morning after being with Sasuke—

Would Yondaime have looked like that if Kakashi had ever spent the night with him?

And still more bitterly—had he looked like that on mornings after being with _her_?

Kakashi turned off the hot water, shaking the excess from his hands and drying them slowly on the nearby dishtowel, still not looking at Naruto. He knew he shouldn't be angry with his student. It wasn't Naruto's fault that he'd never had the guts to tell his sensei how he really felt, or that the man had sacrificed himself for the village before he'd found the courage to speak—secret love rival or no.

Kakashi sighed again, closing his eye for a moment. It also probably wasn't Naruto's fault that the Yukata had gotten creamed on either. He'd seen him interacting with Sasuke last night; the sexual tension had been _thick_. It was amazing all clothing hadn't been completely destroyed once the boys had gone at it, especially with their combined level of fighting skill. He turned, glancing at Naruto and reaching for the Yukata.

"Well, well, well," he forced himself to speak noncommittally, spreading the fabric out as much as he could on the clean kitchen table.

"Heh, heh," Naruto chuckled embarrassedly, standing with his hand on his neck, "It was an accident, he—er, I didn't expect… I mean, it was dark, and—"

"–_Nevermind_," Kakashi interrupted with a raised hand, suddenly not interested in hearing the details.

He firmly shut down his twisted imagination that tried to picture _Yondaime_ with _Itachi_–his utterly opposite experiences with those two would crack his sanity if he let the memories collide.

Kakashi took a deep breath, running his hands over the clean areas of the fabric, trying to distract his brain by analyzing whether or not the color would bleed if it got wet.

"Can you fix it?" Naruto asked urgently, touching the edge of the collar from his side of the table with gentle fingertips.

"Hmmm." For a moment Kakashi considered telling him that it was completely ruined, just to wipe that eager, happy glow from his face. But that was childish, and Kakashi was too good a ninja to succumb to such a base impulse. "I think maybe I can do something with this."

"Awesome!" Naruto grinned at him, gesturing excitedly. "Tsunade-no-Baa-chan would kill me if she ever found out. I knew I could count on you, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi raised his blue eye, trying to keep it from showing his irritation at Naruto's flippant attitude.

"You should _never_ have let something like this happen, Naruto. I don't care _how_ caught up in the moment you were."

Naruto flinched. "Well, but… I didn't plan it, Kakashi-sensei, he just grabbed it from—"

Kakashi waved off the excuses; he couldn't help that his voice came out rather stern. This was not something to take lightly.

"You of all people should know how precious this Yukata is, because of who it belonged to. I would have expected you to keep it from being soiled, at the very least."

Naruto folded his arms across his body defensively, and he looked at the floor, "I know that already, Kakashi-sensei, it's not like I meant for it to happen that way…"

Kakashi regarded him coolly. He felt a little guilty that some of the light really had gone from his student's face. But not guilty enough.

"Yondaime," Kakashi straightened up, "Was a _hero_. The whole village loved him and respected him—"

Naruto looked up at him, his eyes big, "–I know that! He was the strongest of all the Hokage!" The blond ran a hand roughly through his hair, and then pointed at the mess.

"This was an accident! Sas—uh, he didn't know whose it was!" Naruto's voice became angrier as he went on, "So don't lecture _me_—it was just a simple mistake!"

Kakashi straightened to his full height, folding his arms in irritation, "He was my sensei, Naruto. I'm very disappointed to find his belongings handled so carelessly, and by _one of my students_ no less. You should have taken better care of this!" He gestured at the Yukata with his masked chin.

Naruto pointed his finger at Kakashi's chest, "Oi! _You_ never made any mistakes before, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi's eye narrowed. He had a point.

Naruto took off his headband and held it in his clenched fingers, showing him the leaf symbol, "I got this from Iruka-sensei when I first graduated the Academy. He was the first person ever to acknowledge me, and see? I've taken perfect care of it despite all my hard training. I'm telling you, I would never have done this on purpose!"

Naruto reached out to snatch the Yukata roughly from the table, and Kakashi grabbed hold of his wrists to prevent him from taking it and storming out. As much as he hated it right now, Kakashi knew he was really the only one who could take care of the stain properly, and more importantly—with discretion.

Naruto faced him with intense blue eyes, yanking his wrists out of Kakashi's grip, "Will you help me fix this, or not? Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi stared back at his student, letting him simmer down. And letting _himself_ simmer down. He looked at Iruka's hitai-ate, clenched in Naruto's hand, and felt his heart sink with the knowledge that he was just jealous. He was jealous that it was someone else's moments of passion that had been recorded on his Idol's clothing, instead of _theirs_: his and Yondaime-sama's.

It was silly, really, since he had a whole laundry basket full of shared moments of passion with Iruka sitting by the door, waiting for his attention, red cording and all. He closed his eye for a moment, letting memories of his precious person chase away the sadness of the past, and picturing Iruka's smiling face from only an hour ago.

Iruka, who made his heart flutter like Yondaime never had. Iruka who rushed to kiss him whenever possible, like Yondaime never had. Iruka, who loved him, and loved him wholeheartedly, like Yondaime never had.

He fixed Naruto with a hard stare, softening his mouth under his mask. "Just answer one question, Naruto."

Naruto's face was fierce, "Ask me anything."

Kakashi waited a moment, in the interests of drama. Then, "What happened to the _coat_?"

Naruto chuckled, his face breaking into his normal grin, "No worries! The coat is completely fine, I made sure to throw it out of the way when Sasu—er, when we… uh, when it was taken off…"

Kakashi crinkled his blue eye and smiled, finally finding the humor of the situation. Naruto flushed and Kakashi sighed, watching the color spread across his student's cheeks. God, Naruto was somehow too adorable at times to be angry with for long. He could only imagine what it was like for Sasuke; the Uchiha tensai had far less patience and far more frequent reasons to get angry with his teammate.

Kakashi wondered if he was ever maddening to Iruka in the same kind of way.

He smirked, "Alright, Naruto. I'll have this fixed up in no time." He folded it loosely, setting it in a neat pile for later. "I wouldn't want to have to train a replacement member for Team Seven just yet."

"Thank you, Kakashi sensei," Naruto grinned with relief, and Kakashi gestured for them to return to the living room. Kakashi sat down, picking up his half-polished boot.

"In exchange," he glanced meaningfully at his student, "You can help me finish sharpening these weapons."

"Awwww," Naruto grumbled, tying his hitai-ate back in place, "I was hoping you wouldn't say that." He walked toward the low table, lacing his fingers behind his head and still smiling.

Kakashi smirked at him, "Well, if you'd rather not help with this, there is an alternative."

Naruto sat down across from him, "Oh yeah? What's that?" He looked so innocently hopeful; Kakashi smirked all the harder beneath his mask for it.

"You can tell me exactly _how_ Yondaime's Yukata got _stained_."

Naruto gaped, "Ehhhh?"

He turned a crimson that clashed severely with his orange training suit, and Kakashi laughed loudly. Naruto grabbed quickly for the whetting stone, setting things up to begin sharpening.

"_Pervert_…" He muttered, glancing up with a grin on his face.

"Always," Kakashi nodded, continuing the task he'd been performing when Naruto arrived.

After a companionable silence, with only the sounds of sharpening and polishing, Naruto cleared his throat, glancing up from the shuriken in his hand. "Hey… Kakashi-sensei…"

"Hmm?" Kakashi was buffing the last of the polish from the leather of his boot.

"I was wondering…" Naruto hedged, his hands stilling from their work.

Kakashi looked over at him, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, he prodded gently, "What's up?"

"Er," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks coloring, "Do you like being uke?"

Kakashi was supremely grateful that he habitually covered his face, since he was uncharacteristically caught off guard by the bluntness of the question.

Good lord, _what_ had Sasuke been telling him? Maybe he'd misheard.

"_Pardon_?" He asked.

"Aha, well, uh," Naruto chuckled, so very nervous. "I was just curious… if you, y'know… with Iruka… um…" Then his face became an angry scowl, pointing a finger into the air between them, "Oi! Don't make me say it twice, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi put the boot away, chuckling, "I'm just surprised Sasuke told you something like that." This meant Sasuke also told Naruto about him and Iruka, since there was that little slip. Good grief.

"Huh?" Naruto's face fell in confusion, "Sasuke? He didn't tell me–you mean HE _KNOWS_?"

Kakashi raised his eyebrows in surprise. If Naruto didn't know that Sasuke knew about them…! "Then… _No way_! Iruka wouldn't—"

"—No, no!" Naruto waved his hands defensively, "Iruka wouldn't say anything like that at all!"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. Naruto wasn't exhibiting any of the tell-tale signs of lying. So how in the hell had he found out such an intimate detail?

At least it appeared that with _this_ student, he wouldn't need to use subtlety. "How did you know I'm the uke, Naruto?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Well duh, it's obvious."

"_PARDON_?" Kakashi's voice was quick from surprise.

What the hell did _that_ mean? If you asked him, he certainly would be pegged by most people as a seme. And if he thought about it, with anyone else he probably would be.

Naruto shrugged, "Well, I mean, you're dating Iruka-sensei, ne? It's obvious Iruka is a seme."

"It is?" Kakashi was genuinely intrigued. Naruto wasn't usually this astute.

"Well yeah," Naruto nodded. "I guess…" He paused, and then shrugged again, "You _obviously_ haven't been scolded and lectured by him. He's _definitely_ a seme."

"Hn," Kakashi commented darkly.

"And… maybe it's easier to tell when someone's like you. If you're the same type." Naruto added, looking off into space, like he was thinking hard.

"Oh… I see," Kakashi looked at him, shrewd.

He believed that Sasuke hadn't told Naruto about their relationship, or about what he'd learned through _Isshin-no-jutsu_. Naruto had been genuinely shocked to hear that Sasuke also knew about the secret relationship he had with Iruka. He also believed that Iruka hadn't told Naruto which of them was uke–Iruka would _never_ have been able to say the word _uke_ out loud.

However, that meant someone _had_ told Naruto that he was in a relationship with the Academy teacher. Since it clearly hadn't been _himself_…

Well, well, well; one very attractive Chuunin had some explaining to do. Kakashi grinned. It was going to be very fun to—what was it he'd been accused of? Ah yes. _Torturing_ people. It had probably been an accident, but nevertheless, it was something he couldn't just ignore.

Luckily for the both of them, Iruka would enjoy the kind of torture he had in mind.

"So… what was it like?" Naruto was continuing, keeping his hands busy shifting the unsharpened weapons on the surface of the table, "Er… the first time?"

Kakashi took a deep breath. This is definitely not a conversation he'd ever imagined having with one of his students. At least with Sasuke neither of them had to say any of it _out loud_. Iruka was really so much better with this sort of thing.

"Er, are you sure you don't want to talk to Iruka? He is probably better at giving advice—"

"Hell no!" Naruto said firmly, "The last time we talked he kept dropping his spoon and spraying chocolate ice-cream everywhere, and we hadn't even been talking about… well not anything so…" Naruto ran a hand through his hair, "He'd _never_ talk about something so personal."

Kakashi remembered cleaning some chocolate off the refrigerator. So _that's_ what had happened. Then he furrowed his brow, "But it's okay to ask _me_ about something so personal?"

"Er–" Naruto had the grace to look embarrassed, "I mean, you're different, Kakashi-sensei. I mean—it's okay, right?"

Kakashi considered for a moment, then chose to brush the issue aside. Who was he kidding? He was only trumped by Jiraiya for being the most perverted ninja in Konoha. He sighed, "So, you're concerned about sleeping with Sasuke, hmmmm?"

"Awwww," Naruto rolled his eyes dramatically, his cheeks flushing, "Did you have to say his name?" He ran a nervous hand through his blond hair, "I guess I knew that you'd figure out who I… er… Wait—how much _do_ you know about us? Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi chuckled, pointing towards his kitchen, "For one thing, there is enough evidence on that table for me to consider making some very strict rules about Team Seven's _away-missions_."

Naruto's face looked so shocked and then so utterly disappointed, Kakashi wished he'd had his Sharingan revealed so he could capture it. What did Naruto think he'd really be able to do with Sasuke in a _tent_?

He laughed heartily before Naruto could give voice to his fears, "Okay, I won't make any new rules… _unless it's called for_." It didn't hurt to give Naruto a small warning, however. Poor Sakura was in for some surprises when she got back.

"Gah," Naruto buried his face in his hands, "Don't joke like that, Kakashi-sensei!" His ears were adorably red.

"Anyways, I can see where you might have some challenges with Sasuke," Kakashi tried to get them back on track.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, "He seems to like… but I'm not sure if he… I mean I'm not exactly… er…"

"Hmmm," Kakashi wasn't sure just what Naruto meant, but he knew one thing: There was no way Sasuke would ever just roll over and let Naruto have his way with him. Even though Kakashi had enlightened him about the joys of being uke, submission wasn't part of his vocabulary at this point in time.

"Well, if I were you, I'd let him go first," he suggested.

"But," Naruto's brows creased, "But I'm the seme!"

"Your point?" Kakashi raised his own eyebrow in challenge, "It doesn't always have to be just one way, Naruto. Who says I'm _always_ the uke?"

"You mean Iruka…er," Naruto flushed, then squinted his eyes closed.

"If it wasn't good both ways, nobody would do it," Kakashi said pointedly. He paused, thinking wistfully about his lover, "And when you really love someone, it doesn't matter who does what."

"Oh," Naruto said, watching him intently even as his face became scarlet, and then he looked away. Kakashi grinned; there was that glowing half-smile again.

"Besides," Kakashi added, "This is _Sasuke_ we're talking about."

Naruto looked confused, "What the hell does _that_ mean?"

Kakashi grinned, thinking about what he'd inadvertently taught Sasuke through their jutsu. "That means you'll definitely like it. And don't you think he'll be jealous after he sees you enjoying it so much? Hmmmm?"

Naruto flushed in a worthy imitation of Iruka as he dropped his gaze to his folded hands, his voice just as embarrassed, "_Kakashi-sensei_!"

Kakashi decided to change the subject. "When are you seeing Sasuke next, Naruto?"

"After registration," he lifted his blond head, "I'm going over to his house."

"Hmm," Kakashi commented, getting to his knees and then to his feet. "I think I have something that might help."

Naruto quirked an eyebrow at him in question as he left the room and went to his bedroom. He shuffled through some of the books stacked at the bottom of his end table. He found the right one, and padded casually back out to the living room, tossing it to Naruto. Naruto caught it easily, looking at the front and back cover.

"Eh? One of Ero-sennin's books? How is this supposed to help?"

"Hmmm." Kakashi sat back down on his cushion, "Maybe you should look _inside_ the cover. Didn't I teach you better than that, Naruto?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, then opened the book, and read out the words on the title page:

_—ICHA-ICHA-KAMA-SUTRA: 101 GAY VARIATIONS FOR THE NINJA GENIUS—_

Naruto's voice rose in disbelief the farther he read, "_Ehhhh_? Ero-sennin wrote something… something… No! Ero-sennin is _GAY_?" He rose up on his knees from the shock, holding the book like it was one of Orochimaru's snakes rearing to bite.

"No, no, no," Kakashi laughed, "I've had nearly all his books re-bound. That's something I picked up a while back."

"Good god," Naruto flipped through it, still in shock, "Does Jiraiya know about this? Because…" He trailed off and shut the book abruptly, like he'd seen something scandalous. He probably _had_.

"I mean, he thinks you're his biggest fan, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi shrugged, enjoying the many expressions that had crossed his student's face as he'd thumbed through the guidebook. "Are you going to tell him? _Naruto_?" He looked at him significantly with his blue eye.

Naruto shook his head vehemently, "No way!"

Kakashi smirked, "It's a good thing for you the cover's orange; nobody will be able to see that you've got it next to your training suit."

Naruto flushed, "Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no I can't take this! If Sasuke ever found it—" He tried to pass it back, and Kakashi spread his hands in refusal.

"Don't worry about that," Kakashi wheedled, "If you leave right now, you can probably skim through most of it before registration, so that when you get to _Sasuke's…_" He let his voice fade with a suggestive lilt.

Naruto shivered, his eyes flashing with lust, "But–"

"–It's easy," Kakashi coaxed, "Just go find someplace where nobody will find you, and I'm sure you'll figure out exactly the best way to make Sasuke a _very… happy… ninja_."

"Er," Naruto rubbed his neck again, "Are you sure—"

Kakashi's eye crinkled in amusement as he interrupted, pointing to the clock on the wall, "It's already 1:15—"

Kakashi's voice stopped abruptly. He and Naruto both turned to his open kitchen window to see one of Tsunade's messenger birds land on the sill. It squawked out an urgent summons, and Kakashi exchanged a glance with Naruto.

"Well it seems we both have better things to be doing," Kakashi murmured, his eyebrows creasing as he began to speculate on what the summons portended.

"Right," Naruto nodded, his face serious. He got to his feet at the same time as Kakashi. "I guess I'll see you at registration, then."

Kakashi regarded him with a gaze equally assessing, "Of course."

Naruto went to the door and let himself out, giving a little wave as he sprinted off, tucking the book in his back pocket. Kakashi turned back to the bird, grinding his teeth and reaching for his spare flak jacket draped across the sofa. With any luck, it was just something administrative. He _really _wanted to enjoy his vacation for once, instead of being assigned some of the most dangerous solo missions there were. He also hoped it wasn't something that would keep him out of the Hunt–he might not forgive Tsunade if it did.

He quickly got dressed in the rest of his usual ninja garb, and made his way invisibly across Konoha to the Hokage tower, his breast heavy with dread.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke toweled his thick hair mostly dry, feeling clean and energetic.

After combing some mousse through his locks, he tied on his black hitai-ate and wrapped a towel around his hips. He went out into his bedroom, surveying the set-up for Naruto's arrival sometime later on with a critical eye.

He had exchanged the blue sheets for black, and the plush blue blankets for black as well–but he'd left his pillows _red_. It seemed an appropriate color-scheme. He licked his bottom lip, feeling goose bumps prickle his damp skin from the anticipation of seeing Naruto sprawled across his bedding—

Hadn't his lust been slaked at all? If anything, it felt _stronger_.

Sasuke walked to the left end table, moving the candles into a more random clump. He straightened his pencil-case, making sure it didn't look like anything suspicious. He did _not_ want Naruto freaking out that he had lube and was ready to use it.

He checked everything else in the room, all the jutsu-scrolls lined up neatly, all the surfaces clean, the hip red sofa angled just so in case they didn't make it to the bed…

"Tch," Sasuke smirked, remembering the previous night fondly as he crossed the room. He shook his head and opened the large doors of his armoire, eyes flicking over his choices of attire. He reached for some black boxer-briefs. First things first.

His brows creased as he surveyed the rest of his wardrobe, trying to decide on the sexiest combination to wear for Naruto. Was everything he owned _black_? This was exactly a situation when he needed his older brother to help him decide—

Sasuke closed his eyes, swallowing past the small lump in his throat.

"_Nii-san_," he whispered, wishing fervently that Itachi was there, and picturing his brother the way he saw him last.

Kakashi was right about the mesh shirts. Mesh shirts and _leather_, actually, were his two favorites, and he definitely had the body to carry it off. Sasuke opened his eyes, and reached toward the few mesh shirts he had, pulling a clean one out and holding it against his chest, considering. He slipped it over his head, and moved to regard himself critically in the gilded mirror.

He twisted one way, then the other, seeing how the mesh accented the curves of his arm muscles, and the lean hardness of his torso. If you looked closely, you could see his nipples peeking from beneath the tightly crossed fibers. Sasuke inclined his head. It wasn't bad. In fact, it made him look _hot_. He turned and looked at himself coyly over his shoulder, and smirked.

Yes! This was _it_. He wouldn't want to wear it outside, necessarily, but he was convinced Naruto would _definitely_ like this new look.

His eyes slid down his reflection to his underwear. He thought for half a second about trying on a pair of Itachi's leather pants, but decided against it and grabbed some of his favorite black ninja shorts instead. If a Yukata had proved difficult to remove, then leather pants were definitely _out_.

Maybe they could work up to it. They could even call it _training_.

Sasuke smirked at the eager flipping of his belly as he armed himself out of habit. He ran his fingers through his black hair once more, making sure he looked just right. He touched the necklace at his throat that he just hadn't been able to remove quite yet, and took a long, deep breath.

Now that everything was ready, it was time to see if Itachi had hidden any clues about how to win the Hunt.

On his way through the house, Sasuke stopped in the kitchen to grab a large flashlight. He hated going into the basement because he was paranoid about _snakes_—he loathed them more than anything, even fangirls, since they reminded him of _that_ man. Logically, Sasuke knew that the kinds of snakes he might find down there were harmless, but the association was deep.

The last time he'd gone to Itachi's secret room he'd taken an oil lamp, appreciating the drama and feel of the antiquated tool. But the flickering of the lighted wick along the stairwell had made his palms sweat more than he wanted to admit, so he kept his flashlight steady as he made his way down the steps.

Being a tensai had its downsides—he had a very overactive imagination to keep in check.

Sasuke wasn't scared of what was down there. His brother's presence was just so _strong_, and it made him wish that so many things had happened differently. He stepped off the last stair and onto the cool tatami mats, moving over to the single lamp he'd brought down years ago. He couldn't remember ever changing the bulb. He turned the switch and looked around, absurdly relieved that nothing slithered away from the soft light into the corners.

It was actually rather odd that there weren't mice or other small creatures living down here, considering how much open land there was around the house, though Sasuke really wasn't complaining. The room was always just the way Itachi had left it; Itachi's things set out the way he'd always had them in their old house, back before their parents … died.

Sasuke knelt in the middle of the floor for a moment, closing his eyes and smelling the light, mixed scents of his elder brother: Weapons, Leather, and _Bats_.

The last scent was puzzling. Sasuke had never noticed bats on this property, nor in the area where they grew up. But the scent was undeniable and never seemed to quite dissipate. Maybe because there weren't any windows? Itachi hadn't commented on it the one time he'd been here, so Sasuke just left it alone. It's not like _Itachi_ wouldn't have noticed. And no Uchiha ever had a summon.

Sasuke rose from the floor, moving to the cabinets where he'd stored Itachi's weapons, or really, the weapons that he hadn't taken with him. An ANBU katana hung on the wall, and Sasuke flicked his eyes to it as he ran his fingers down the cabinet's glass doors that protected the remaining assortment of gleaming weapons. Itachi had certainly loved to collect beautiful things.

Sasuke remembered being so excited as a kid when Itachi returned from an away-mission, and not just from having missed him so much. As a gift, Itachi always brought back something unique, some new or slightly different version of a weapon that he could practice with, though Sasuke'd always felt strange about using them. _Those_ he kept upstairs in his bedroom, precious gifts just like his necklace tucked away along with the Golden Kunai.

Sasuke moved along the wall, coming to the armoire and opening the doors. There was a full row of hanging leather pants, most of them black, as well as sleeveless leather vests that zipped up the front mixed in with Itachi's other combat gear. Gloves, arm-guards, boots of all kinds lined the base and the shelves on the side—it was almost like the Uchiha armory on the second floor, only with a more… _sensual_ feel to it, a nuance that Sasuke hadn't noticed about his brother's attire until after he became a Genin.

Itachi had been admired for more than just his strength; Sasuke wished fleetingly that he'd thought to ask him what he did to keep fangirls from being a nuisance. They'd _never_ plagued his brother like they did him, though Itachi was considerably more attractive. It made him wonder if Itachi had dealt with similar harassment from the people of the village after he won the last Hunt.

Sasuke closed the doors with a sigh. At least if he ever discovered Naruto had a thing for leather, he'd know where to go. It made him excited to think that he might have finally grown up enough to fit in his brother's clothing. But finding out for sure could wait until another day—today he had to try to focus on ways to help Naruto win the Hunt.

He moved to the last area of the room. The shelves on both tall bookcases were crammed full of scrolls, tomes, jars of ointments and medicines, all kinds of things that Itachi had apparently been studying. None of it had ever seemed related, at least as far as Sasuke could decipher, though he didn't really expect to uncover all his Aniki's secrets.

He picked up a scroll and began to read it, eyes flicking over the neat characters as he remembered trying desperately to sneak up on Itachi while he was at home. His brother somehow always knew he was there, even after Sasuke had grown skilled enough to sneak up on their mother. She would catch him two times in ten, more than even their father did, but Itachi _always_ knew.

Sasuke had never once been able to surprise him. If he couldn't do something at that level, then he probably wouldn't ever understand what all these things on the bookcases meant.

There wasn't even anyone to ask. Itachi was the strongest Uchiha in the clan, so it wasn't a surprise to anyone that he kept to himself. Sasuke knew what it was like to be set apart because of your abilities, and it was lonely at the top. Except for Shisui, Sasuke was the only friend Itachi had had, and even then their ages—not to mention skills—were so far apart it couldn't have been the same.

He'd thought that maybe Kakashi was a friend, for the short time they were in ANBU together, but considering the Jounin's reaction last night Sasuke wasn't so sure _friend_ was the right word. A lot about Itachi was a mystery.

Sasuke rolled the scroll back up and set it on the shelf in its place, his thoughts shifting momentarily to his blond rival. He trailed his fingers along the many objects before him, kneeling down to view the lower shelves. More scrolls, more books, more jars… what _had_ Itachi been studying?

_"All knowledge is worth having, little brother." _ Sasuke remembered the words, even if the memory of Itachi's voice had faded.

He was enough like his brother to enjoy being alone in his house, free to pursue his skills and knowledge without distractions or interruptions. He was content to go for hours without speaking, and performed the advanced Yoga-esque ninja moves that Itachi had taught him on a daily basis. He absorbed everything related to ninjutsu that he could get his hands on, following in his brother's footsteps.

They'd both devoted their lives to uphold their clan—Itachi to avenge it, and Sasuke to preserve it. However, there was one thing that made their lives completely different:

Uzumaki Naruto.

Sasuke brushed his hair off his face as he leaned forward to see the contents on the very bottom shelf. He'd never seen Itachi sparring with friends. He'd never seen Itachi sharing Ramen at Ichiraku's, not even with his various sensei. He'd never seen Itachi going out with comrades of any kind. Itachi had even stopped spending as much time with his little brother, especially once he'd been appointed into ANBU.

_"Forgive me Sasuke… next time, okay?" _

Sasuke felt the center of his forehead tingle, though he resisted the urge to shift his hitai-ate. Then he creased his brows—had Itachi ever fallen in love? He almost couldn't imagine it; his Aniki was so independent, always by himself.

Sasuke took a deep breath, more than grateful that he'd had Naruto nearby, even if they hadn't always gotten along, and even if he'd spent several torturous years pining for him. His heart fluttered at the idea that those times might be over.

He'd at least always had Naruto to share things with if he'd wanted, but who had been there for _Itachi_?

"_Nii-san_," he whispered again, his heart tightening at the thought that maybe Itachi hadn't been given the same luxury he had—to form a bond with someone so strong that you couldn't imagine your life without them.

Sasuke flushed, and looked away for a moment, as if something on the shelves might see it and make fun of him for feeling so strongly for his teammate. He reached out to grab another scroll when his hand stopped above the shelf in hesitation. There, in the way back, behind a jar of something thick and yellowish, looked like something… orange?

He leaned closer… a book? An orange book… worn… yellowed pages… Where had he seen something like that before?

Sasuke moved aside the large glass jar, twisting it along the edge of the shelf so he could pull out the book, when his eyes caught something written on the jar's label. The label had been hidden, facing the wall until he'd rotated it, and now he could make out the partly visible hiragana: …RA ME.

Sasuke creased his brows, turning the jar further to read the rest of Itachi's precise handwriting. He sucked in his breath with shock: _ABURAME_.

He picked it up and held the jar in his hands, the glass cool, and the contents heavy. What the hell was this? He tilted the jar to the left, and nothing on the inside shifted. It was something thick, like an ointment… but _Aburame_? What did it mean?

He turned it over and over in his hands, trying to come up with the possible answers. It didn't seem like the best idea to ask Shino, especially since he'd be one of Naruto's opponents—if it was something that might help in the Hunt, he didn't want to tip off their classmate.

It was also impossible to tell if Itachi had made this, or if he'd _stolen_ it. They were ninjas, after all.

Sasuke unscrewed the lid, holding the jar up to his nose and sniffing. No smell. He touched the oily surface of the ointment with his finger, rubbing it onto his thumb, and watching it spread evenly on his skin with no change in color. It didn't feel like anything medicinal or anything dangerous, in fact he almost didn't notice it was on his skin at all. Sasuke got up to his knees, looking over some of the other jars that he'd hardly paid any attention to, turning them to check the labels.

"Tch," he muttered, irritated. It figured. None of the other jars had labels at all. And it would take forever to go through all the written materials to see if there was anything to identify them, or anything recorded about how they were made, much less what they _did_. He looked down at the jar in his hands, the biggest one, and the only one with a label. What made this jar different?

It was times like this that Itachi almost scared him.

Sasuke sighed. No wonder most people had avoided him—there was certainly nothing normal about anything he had, or said, or did.

Itachi was completely impossible to compete with, on any level. He was powerful and cunning, drop-dead gorgeous, not to mention _deadly_; he was also impossible to sneak up on, impossible to surprise, impossible to decode, impossible to live up to.

If Itachi were competing in the Hunt this time, nobody would stand a ch—

Sasuke's heart froze in his chest.

No.

It couldn't be that simple.

It _couldn't_.

He looked quickly around the room at Itachi's weapons, Itachi's clothes, Itachi's knowledge.

He remembered the stares, the whispers, the yelps of fear.

Kakashi's wild reaction when he arrived at his door last night.

Asuma's sneering voice: _ "Uchiha."_

Whispers in the grocery store:

_"Oh my God, it's him—"  
"—you think he's going to be in the Hunt?"  
"—well my husband says—"  
"—I know I sure wouldn't want to compete against—"_

The words turned over and over in his mind as Sasuke slowly got to his feet, his hand trembling around the labeled jar.

He'd been trying to find a way to help Naruto win the Hunt, searching for the best way to shift all odds in his teammate's favor. He closed his eyes, almost wishing he hadn't figured it out, cringing as all the pieces snapped into place.

It even fit with Itachi's last command, before he left to avenge their clan.

It was a perfect chance to do what his brother had bid, and on a large—and _public_—scale.

"_Nii-san_," Sasuke murmured to himself, dark eyes closed. It was impossible, but he could almost believe that Itachi had known even then that his actions would make Sasuke's next moves possible.

But it wouldn't be easy. _No_. Far from it.

His hand tightened around the jar. If he was going to do it, he had to leave _now_. And he _had_ to tell Naruto his plan before it was too late—it would be disastrous if he didn't reach him in time. He knew his teammate all too well.

Fighting the rapid thudding of his heart, Sasuke picked up his flashlight, and forced himself to move calmly over to the lamp, in deference to his brother's refuge. He turned the switch, and then sprinted back up the stairs, taking the jar of ointment with him and setting it on the kitchen counter for further analysis. He glanced at the clock, then bolted to put on his sandals, squashing the rising feeling of panic.

How had it gotten so late already?

He only had half an hour to find Naruto before registration—it had better be enough! Sasuke flew out the door and through the Uchiha district, making his way as fast as he could to Naruto's apartment, his belly churning with dread at what he was about to do.

Dear god, please let him be at home!

* * *

--

* * *

Kakashi suddenly appeared at the doors of the Hokage office, startling Kotetsu and Izumo momentarily.

"Yo," he waved, crinkling his eye as he smiled beneath the mask.

"For god's sake, Kakashi," Izumo lowered the kunai that had flown into his hand, glaring, "Don't you ever get tired of doing that?"

"Sorry, sorry," Kakashi chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, but not really feeling bad about it. It was their running prank, after all.

"One day we're going to seriously injure you, you know," Kotetsu grinned, also returning his weapons to his holsters, but taking the surprise infinitely better than his partner.

"If you say so," Kakashi chuckled back. It was nice to have something familiar to loosen him up before seeing the Hokage and finding out what new mess awaited his expertise. He was starting to feel like a janitor.

"Tsunade-sama's expecting you," Izumo opened the door, jerking his chin inside.

"Go on in," Kotetsu added, a little more gently.

Kakashi nodded to them both, and went into the office.

Tsunade was at her desk, leafing through some papers with an expression of concentration on her face. For once, Shizune was nowhere to be found. If Tsunade had sent her away, then this conversation was very important—and it didn't bode well for his future.

Tsunade glanced up as Kakashi walked casually to her desk, showing him a weary smile. "Ah, Kakashi," she said, leaning back in her chair and resting her hands on the edge of her desk.

"You summoned, Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi bowed his head, keeping his hands comfortably in his pockets.

"Yes." She then leaned forward, lacing her fingers in front of her face. "I have a mission to assign to you."

Kakashi didn't let any of his true emotions show on his face, smirking at her jovially and sweeping his arm to the side as he bowed lower, "How may I be of service, young lady?"

"Hn," Tsunade's voice was sarcastic, though her eyes twinkled at the compliment. "There's not much time, Kakashi, so I'll get right to it. I expect you're planning on entering the Hunt, is that right?"

"Yes, I'm entering," Kakashi showed his confidence in the words. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that she'd brought up the Hunt so quickly.

"Good," she smiled, "Then this will fit right in."

Kakashi watched as she got up from her desk, moving to the large, curving window behind her and looking out on the tree-sheltered village. It was a glorious, sunny day, though she didn't seem to be seeing any of its beauty. She obviously had a lot on her mind.

"It's a simple mission; I want you to do some spying," She began, her back to him.

"Spying?" He moved towards her and sat on the closest edge of her desk, watching intently with his hands in his pockets.

"Yes. I want you to watch the Feudal Lords. I want you to see if any of them try to approach the ninjas who'll be competing." She turned her body to face him.

"Hmmm," Kakashi considered what she was asking. "You think they're in danger?" He didn't include himself in the question.

"Not exactly," she chuckled, though it was dark. "But I don't trust the Feudal Lords to play nice either. I want you to inform me if any of them make contact, either to bribe a competing ninja to attack someone during the Hunt, or to try and lessen the number of ninja competing."

"You mean bribing ninja to withdraw," Kakashi nodded.

"That's right," Tsunade agreed, turning to face him fully, her arms crossed under her ample bosom. She tapped a manicured fingernail against her arm. "I don't think they'll try to sabotage the Hunt by attacking any of the competitors…"

"Not when they're guests, and we're ninjas," Kakashi agreed.

She nodded, "But we can expect that they'll try just about anything to skew the odds in their favor." She started to pace back and forth in-between the window and her desk. "I don't think I have to tell you how much the Feudal Lords of Fire Country love to gamble."

"Hmmmm," Kakashi pretended to think, "Odds are in _your_ favor that I've heard of them placing a bet or two." He chuckled, and saw the side of her mouth quirk in a half-smile.

"There's a lot riding on the outcome of this Hunt, Kakashi. I've never seen people so…" She gestured in the air to signify the general unrest he'd already witnessed from the villagers.

"Yeah," Kakashi nodded, "It's going to be a significant event. Maybe even more than last time."

She glanced over at him, and he knew they were both thinking about Itachi. Itachi who surprised everyone by his dramatic win, and started the ripples that were now flowing in waves of heady anticipation at this Hunt's outcome.

"With that in mind, I'd also like you to keep an eye on _him_," her face was serious.

Kakashi nodded. He didn't share with her that she needn't worry. There would be no Uchiha in _this_ Hunt, but even so, Sasuke might still become someone's target. He agreed that someone should look out for him. And anyway, he'd already promised long ago to do just that.

He changed the subject, "I'll need to know some specifics."

Tsunade stopped pacing. "The Hunt begins tomorrow at midnight. You have until an hour before that tomorrow night, but I want you to report to me any suspicious activity on the part of any Feudal Lord or any competing shinobi as soon as you find anything. I summoned you before registration so that you can use the chance to observe the Feudal Lord's reactions to the different shinobi that arrive for registration. Naturally, I won't tell you the nature of the Hunt in advance."

"No," Kakashi said. "Not if you want this to be a secret mission; it'll work better if I learn the details along with everyone else." He paused, "I notice Shizune isn't here, is she feeling well?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, smirking, "Shizune has the day off, since she's entering the Hunt. But I'll tell her you were kind enough to ask."

Kakashi smiled, holding up a hand, "Now don't get me in trouble with Gai!"

So Tsunade wasn't sharing the details of this mission with her closest assistant. _Interesting_. Tsunade chuckled, rolling her eyes, then her face became serious again.

"It may turn out to be nothing. But if they do try to do something, I want to know immediately."

"And what will you do with this information, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi asked, raising his eyebrow.

The Hokage looked at him shrewdly, moving her hands to her hips. "I intend to make sure the Hunt is a good one. And I intend to make sure _Konoha_ wins."

Kakashi smirked, folding his arms across his chest and watching her closely. She didn't need to say more than that. She was going to make sure she had several aces up her sleeves before the Hunt began. It amused him to be one of them.

"So this assignment entails information collection alone?" He asked.

Tsunade inclined her head a fraction as she considered her response, "For now. I don't expect things to… _escalate_ enough for the nature of this mission to change." Her expression softened, "And anyways, it's in my best interests to make sure you compete in the Hunt without distraction, wouldn't you agree? _Copy-Ninja_ Kakashi?"

"Absolutely," he chuckled his agreement. "Just one more question."

"And then I better finish up a few things before seeing you at registration," Tsunade made her way back to her desk, and Kakashi got up from his seat on its edge, moving out of her way. She pulled out the chair and sat down, picking up her papers once more.

"I'm sure you know what Sandaime assigned to me at the last Hunt," he paused as she gave him her full attention. "Will you be assigning a similar mission this time? Tsunade-sama?"

"_Oh ho_," the Hokage looked at him shrewdly. "I'm assigning you _this_ mission for exactly _that_ reason." Then she smirked playfully, "And I would expect a shinobi of your caliber to be able to discern the answer to that question for yourself."

"Yes ma'am!" Kakashi grinned, gave a little salute, and disappeared.

* * *

--

* * *

Naruto walked casually towards the Hokage tower, fingers laced behind his head, trying to turn off the section of his brain that kept replaying the not-so-distant memory of Sasuke's pleasure noises as he climaxed… again, and again, and again…. and again, and again, and again…

_Good grief!_

He really shouldn't have read that whole book at one time, but once he'd opened it he just couldn't stop! It was probably the most he'd ever read at one time. So how was he ever going to concentrate on anything other than getting to Sasuke's as soon as possible and making his rival repeat those noises quite loudly for the rest of the afternoon?

He definitely shouldn't have read it at the river, either. That place was already tainted by their first experience, and now he'd never be able to train effectively there again. How could he after spending over an hour there in the grass, reading and getting harder and harder at the idea of trying it all out?

It was a miracle he didn't have a hard-on right now.

It was well before 3:00, but Naruto was heading to the conference room anyway. For one, it would distract him from thoughts of Sasuke to be around strong shinobi he had no attraction to. And two, he wanted to be there in time to memorize all the details he could as the competitors arrived for registration. Sasuke would be expecting a full report, and he was determined to give one with as many details as possible—he didn't want his rival to have _any_ reason not to be in the mood.

He'd almost made it to the bottom of the steps when he noticed a familiar shinobi sitting on them, his face turned up to the sky, his limbs completely relaxed as he propped his cheek on the flat of his palm.

Naruto's face broke in a wide grin, "Oi! Shikamaru!" He waved in excitement, jogging over to his comrade.

Shikamaru's eyes shifted lazily towards the oncoming orange ninja, not expending the energy it would have taken to actually turn his whole head. "Oi, Naruto."

"What are you doing out here? Aren't you here for registration?" Naruto asked, standing in front of his friend.

"Yeah," Shikamaru agreed, pausing to yawn, and then stretch his arms like he just woke up from a nap. "I was just waiting for 3:00 to come around… and the clouds are so nice…"

"What?" Naruto complained, "We've only got twenty minutes, so let's go! We gotta see who else is competing, right?"

He wasn't really surprised that Shikamaru was there, but it did make him get excited about seeing their other opponents—this was going to be so much fun!

"Oi," Shikamaru grimaced, "Jeez, you're overly excited as usual, Naruto. Go on up there if you want, I'm going to sit here–"

"–No way," Naruto laughed, "You're coming with me. Why aren't you more excited? This only happens every ten years!"

Shikamaru yawned again, "Tch. I'm only here because of Temari, idiot."

"Oh, ho, ho!" Naruto grinned, "Trying to show off for your _girlfriend_, aren't ya!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "You're lucky you don't have one to bully you. She's not even in Konoha, but she made it clear that I better enter the competition if I still wanted to… _enjoy_ her company."

"Oh _man_," Naruto teased, "You are so _whipped_!"

"Hn," Shikamaru cocked his head as he looked up at him, "At least I get some."

"Oh _yeah_?" Naruto started to argue, then stopped himself, feeling his cheeks redden.

His belly flipped at the fact that for the first time he could have boasted right back to Shikamaru—except that it was a secret who he was "getting some" with. He really, really wanted to spill everything, but he knew it wasn't a good idea—thank god he hadn't slipped! He waved it off, and grabbed Shikamaru's arm to yank him to his feet.

"Nevermind, come on, Shikamaru. Let's go see who we get to fight!"

"Oi!" Shikamaru protested.

"Come on!" Naruto started to drag him up the stairs, "If I don't get you up there you'll never get any again!"

"Let go," Shikamaru said, chuckling, "At least let me go up there on my own!"

Naruto laughed as they jogged up the steps two at a time. At the top they found the Hokage office doors unguarded. Naruto's brows drew together, finding it strange. Someone really should be there. He looked from side to side to see if they'd just gone to the toilet or something…

"They're probably already at the conference room," Shikamaru pointed out, leaning forward and catching his breath.

"I know that," Naruto lied, choosing to rush on ahead to the conference room to see who else was there. Shikamaru followed him not too far behind, strolling at his more leisurely pace.

Naruto went through the open double doors, his blue eyes taking in the layout of the room and sweeping over the few people already there. The space was large and airy, with windows along the opposite and far right sides. Naruto started in surprise to see Kakashi standing over to the right with Kotetsu and Izumo.

_Wait a sec_… was he… was he _early_? No way!

Kakashi gave him a cheery wave, and Naruto felt his cheeks grow red, remembering what had been discussed in his sensei's living room just a little while ago. He moved to the left side of the room, deciding to keep some distance; it was too weird to suddenly be in public, even if the room was mostly empty. And just when he'd managed to temporarily suppress his thoughts of Sasuke. Crap!

Naruto turned away from Kakashi and let his eyes rove over the large tables straight ahead at the far end of the room. A large mass of men were gathered, either seated or mingling, all involved in various conversations and shuffling through papers. Their clothing pronounced more clearly than nametags that they were indeed Feudal Lords of Fire Country.

In the middle of these tables sat Tsunade, fielding questions from all sides, and flanked by two ANBU guards. Apart from them Naruto recognized Morino Ibiki immediately, even though he had his back to the room. He stood in front of Tsunade looking down at the papers on his clipboard.

Naruto sighed with relief when he didn't see Shizune anywhere. He hated to be around her if he didn't have to be. Although thinking of her would surely get rid of any hard-on issues he might have in the future; it would be worth remembering _that_ detail.

"So those are all the Feudal Lords, huh?" Shikamaru came up beside him, his hands in his pockets.

"I had no idea there'd be so many! It didn't look like this many from the stadium," Naruto answered, trying to count them though they kept moving around. The handful of Tsunade's staff members that were circling the tables and offering refreshments further confused the scene. In irritation Naruto crossed his arms.

"They're probably here to bet on us, like in the Chuunin exam," Shikamaru commented. "But something has made this festival a much bigger deal than last time, or at least that's what Dad told me."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. People sure did seem worked up. He grinned—this was exactly why he loved these kinds of competitions! The more intense the better.

"By the way," Shikamaru yawned again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Where's your teammate?"

Naruto shrugged, "He decided to pass." He tried again to count the Feudal Lords, starting with the ones in the back right corner.

"Are you serious?" Shikamaru gave Naruto his full attention, moving around to see his face. "He's not competing?" Shikamaru asked again when Naruto didn't look over at him.

"Who cares?" Naruto creased his brows, having lost count. "He doesn't want to compete, so he's not coming. Not a big deal."

Shikamaru just looked at him in disbelief, and then his brows creased as well like he'd just geared up all two hundred points of his I.Q. to figure out why Sasuke wasn't there. It made Naruto annoyed; it's not like there wouldn't be plenty of people to fight without an Uchiha in the mix.

"Oi! Naruto, bro!"

Naruto turned around to see his pal pointing at him in challenge, his face grinning, and his flak jacket so full of weapons it was visibly lumpy. Naruto pointed back like he always did, grinning as he shouted, "Konohamaru!"

"I knew you'd be one of my opponents!" Konohamaru shouted.

"You got that right!" Naruto shouted back, poking his thumb into his chest, "But I'm the one who's going to win!"

"Oi, oi," Shikamaru rolled his eyes, motioning to try and quiet them down. Naruto glanced to see that they'd attracted a bit of attention from the Feudal Lords. So what; he wanted them to know who he was anyways.

"Not if I'm there to beat you!" Konohamaru ignored the shushing and laughed heartily.

Naruto pretend-attacked him and put him in a head-lock, "Oh _yeah_?"

It felt good to be interacting with his comrades again. He'd been on vacation for five days, but he'd pretty much only seen Iruka, Sasuke, and Kakashi. Not that he was complaining about Sasuke. Oh _no_.

Konohamaru twisted out of his hold, also grinning at their familiar antics, "Yeah!"

Shikamaru hid his face in his palm, shaking his head, "Oh _jeez_…"

Naruto laughed, "So you're here to fight me, eh? Konohamaru?"

"Of course!" Konohamaru nodded, "I'm going to beat you to Hokage, right? So I'll just beat you here first!"

"Hey now," Naruto ruffled his hair, then put his hands in his pockets, standing tall. "We'll just see about _that_."

Konohamaru's face got serious, "But more than that, I'll definitely fight your teammate—I don't care if his brother did win the Hunt last time, I'm going to defeat him!"

Naruto ran his hands through his blond hair, feeling exasperated. Naruto sighed loudly, "I hate to disappoint you, but he's not competing Konohamaru."

"WHAT?" Konohamaru shouted, "You're lying, bro!"

Naruto shook his head, feeling very irritated, "I'm not! He told me himself, he's not coming. So you'll just have to beat ME, because I'm the one who's going to win!" They glared at each other, Konohamaru convinced that he was lying, and Naruto annoyed that his friend didn't believe him.

Next to him, Shikamaru shook his head, folding his arms across his flak jacket and sighing. "So troublesome…"

Naruto, for once, totally agreed.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke leaped over the rooftops at full speed, heading across Konoha on the fastest route to Naruto's apartment.

He flipped over the edge of the roof, landing on the balcony's railing and jumping to the spot in front of Naruto's door, his feet not making a sound. He banged his fist on the door.

"Naruto?" He paused, listening for sounds of his teammate moving around inside. He frowned at the silence. Naruto could be asleep; sometimes he slept soundly for long periods after a lot of …er, physical activity.

Sasuke pressed his ear to the door. Nothing.

He banged again, raising his voice, "Naruto! Open the door!" He paused.

Nothing.

He tried the knob.

Locked.

He reached quickly into his holster and withdrew a needle. He shoved it into the crack between the door and the jamb, bending it forward to make the end into a small hook. Then he knelt down and slipped the hook into the knob, wiggling it just so until he felt the lock release in a sharp click.

He tossed the now useless senbon aside and opened the door, scanning the room with both eyes and chakra senses.

_Shit_!

Sasuke relocked the door, and slammed it behind him in his haste to leave.

He took off in the direction of Ichiraku's, gritting his teeth in frustration.

* * *

--

* * *

"Isn't that one of yours over there, Kakashi? Making so much noise?" Kotetsu asked, gesturing to the other side of the room where Naruto was shouting at Konohamaru.

"Hmmm," Kakashi shrugged, then rubbed the back of his neck. He smirked, catching a glimpse of his orange novel still tucked in his student's back pocket, which meant Naruto hadn't gone home to hide it. Well, well, well! Maybe he really had gone somewhere to read it.

The three of them turned as a new comrade joined the small group of Jounin by the windows, Kakashi immediately recognizing his friend by the senbon sticking out of his mouth. Kotetsu and Izumo, now involved in their own conversation, gave him some room as he approached.

"You always were a little soft-hearted with your kids, Kakashi," Genma grinned around the needle, coming over to stand next to him in his usual casual demeanor.

Kakashi sighed on the inside, knowing he would eventually be harassed for missing the big party last night. If they only knew what Iruka was capable of, none of them would blame him for the choice he'd made.

"Ah, is that so," Kakashi replied sarcastically. They both knew his reputation as a sensei was the exact opposite.

Genma gestured to Naruto with the senbon, grinning, "Still, that one might need some reprimanding, don't you think?"

"He'll get plenty of ass-kicking in the Hunt," Asuma grunted in his deep voice, coming up to join the group with Kurenai not far behind him. Kakashi sighed again; Asuma looked like shit. Obviously the Sake hadn't stopped flowing when they'd seen each other at the restaurant.

"Oh?" Genma turned to his cigarette-smoking friend, still grinning, "You're not going to go easy on the Chuunin? I see one of yours over there too."

Asuma grunted in response, his meaty hands in his pockets, worrying the filter of the unlit cigarette with his lips. Kakashi looked over at Kurenai, who had dark circles under her eyes that matched the clouded expression on her normally pleasant face. It had obviously been a long night for her too.

He couldn't help but wonder if Asuma was the type of drunk who wanted to have bad sex all night, or if he was the type that had certain _challenges_ when alcohol coursed through his system. He glanced at Kurenai again. Or maybe he'd just puked a lot. All of the above could have accounted for her expression.

"What about yours, Kurenai?" Genma asked. "Are they coming to the party?"

"Tch," the corner of her mouth twitched in a proud smirk as she ran a hand through her long hair. It looked like she'd taken enough time to tend it, so the previous night couldn't have been all bad.

"You'll see soon enough. Kiba and Shino have both gotten stronger, so you all better watch out." Asuma grunted in contradiction, looking around the room, and Kurenai frowned at his rudeness.

Kakashi sensed an unmistakable chakra signature enter the room, and glanced to the doorway to see Iruka enter with another Chuunin, the same one who'd helped him look for his lunch. He recognized the glasses and bandana-style hitai-ate.

With all the things going on, he was rather glad that their policy was to disregard each other in public as much as possible, even though he wanted nothing more than to go stand beside him, slip an arm around Iruka's back and tuck a gloved hand into his hip pocket, leaning in to smell the lingering traces of shampoo.

He sighed, turning instead to Asuma and Kurenai, and crinkled his eye in a jovial smile, "Well you know, the Chuunin will probably take each other out without our help. Besides, us Jounin will have more fun fighting each other."

Kurenai made no reply, but Asuma directed his scowl to Kakashi, "Tch. Makes sense that _you_ would say that, Kakashi, since you seem to like Chuunin so much."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow. It was silly to let him pick a fight, since Asuma was obviously suffering from a hangover. But Kakashi didn't want him to continue bashing his comrades, either.

He made his voice deadly serious, "I wouldn't underestimate Umino Iruka if I were you. Or my students. You'll be surprised if you find them in the dark, Asuma."

"Umino Iruka?" Genma frowned, "You gave up my birthday party for an Academy teacher and two of your students?" He made an expression of feigned shock.

Kakashi glanced over at Iruka, who was looking over in their direction. Kakashi looked away before he got turned on by the sight of him. He chuckled, turning back to Genma, "Hey, they invited me first. You know how it is."

Genma rolled his eyes, "Oh, I see how it is all right." Kakashi raised an eyebrow as Genma faced him with a Cheshire grin behind the dangerous senbon in-between his teeth.

Genma slipped his arm around Kakashi's shoulders, snickering in a male way, "You must be pining for Anko, am I right?" Genma chuckled, stroking Kakashi's masked cheek with his free hand in mock-suggestiveness, just the way Anko would, "I know how much you love to party with her–but there's no reason to ditch the rest of us because she's on a mission, Kakashi."

"Hmmmm," Kakashi chuckled, going along with the teasing but not commenting.

Good lord. _When _would Genma understand that he'd never successfully set him up with anyone, much less _Anko_? He couldn't even imagine what _that_ would be like, though Genma's impersonation was highly accurate. She did love to party, and she flirted endlessly with all of them.

"I think _you're_ the one who's pining, Genma," Kurenai fixed Genma with a sassy smirk, her arms folded underneath her breasts.

"Me?" Genma pointed to himself, his arm still around Kakashi's shoulders.

Kurenai made her voice into a teasing falsetto, clasping her hands together in mock-prayer, "Oh why did Raidou have to take that mission? Why isn't he here partying with me? How can I have a birthday without him?! Oh _Raidou_!"

Even Asuma chuckled. It was exactly what Genma was like when he was drunk and his best friend wasn't around to drink with him.

Genma raised an eyebrow, shifting the senbon to the other side of his mouth. But he did step back from Kakashi, putting his hands back into his pockets.

"Where is Raidou, anyways?" Kakashi asked. He really hadn't seen him in a little while.

Genma shrugged, not meeting his eyes, "Dunno." Then he turned to Kurenai, "But he _is_ the best drinking partner there is, unlike _that_ lug." He pointed the senbon to Asuma, who turned his hung-over scowl in their direction.

"You wanna say that again? Genma?" Asuma shifted his cigarette, facing him.

Genma just looked at him, cool, mirroring the cigarette movement with his needle and making Asuma glare harder. Kakashi narrowed his eye. Asuma was entirely too confrontational lately, alcohol or no. There must be something else bothering him.

Kakashi took a step forward to break up the tension, but he was saved from having to interfere by a wild green blur swirling to them from the doorway, stopping right between Genma and Asuma.

"Greetings, my comrades!" Gai shouted, baring his perfect, white teeth in a gleaming smile, one arm around Genma and one around Asuma in a friendly double-hug. Asuma grunted, shrugging off the offending arm immediately. Genma just stepped to the side and out of harm's way.

Kakashi turned away from all of them, folding his arms across his chest and scanning the gathered shinobi. He nodded a greeting to Aoba and Shimon, who'd entered behind Gai. He rested his eye for a moment on Iruka's back as he talked with the other Chuunin. In that same area of the room, Naruto also had more of his friends gathered around him; Kakashi recognized some of Kurenai's students as well as Asuma's.

"Oi! KAKASHI!" Gai was shouting at him now.

Kakashi ignored him. It really was the best way to handle Gai, especially when he was worked up about a competition. Kakashi moved his eye over the large mass of Feudal Lords and attendants at the front of the room, noting each of the main players, and matching them to their scurrying staff.

Eventually, a strong hand clapped down on his shoulder. "Hatake Kakashi! YOUR ETERNAL RIVAL HAS ARRIVED!"

Kakashi turned towards the green ninja, keeping his face passive even in the glare from Gai's smile, inches from his masked face. "Who's that?" he asked.

Gai's jaw dropped, and he raised a fist in frustration, his eyes burning with fury. Kakashi chuckled—god he loved to see Gai like that. It made his bizarre challenges so much more fun.

Gai straightened up, shaking off his fury, "Ha, ha, ha! As to be expected of my rival, Kakashi! Such a hip remark it pisses me off!" His mouth smiled, but his eyes were leaden with fighting spirit, half-closed under the weight of his eyebrows.

"Hmmmm," Kakashi commented, turning back to the rest of the room just as Shizune passed through the double doors.

Gai turned towards her, his anger immediately dissipating with the sight of the woman he'd been hopelessly pursuing for years. Shizune scanned the room and marked the gathering of Jounin by the windows. She scowled, but straightened her shoulders and made her way towards the group. Kakashi glanced at her feet; she must have left Ton-Ton at home. He smirked. Naruto would be happy about that.

"There she is! My angel," Gai bowed, ever gallant. Kakashi caught Kotetsu and Izumo giggling behind their hands. Since they worked so closely with Shizune, they probably saw this kind of display quite frequently.

Shizune glared at him, but didn't say anything. She folded her arms and stood close enough to look like part of the group, but far enough that she didn't have to associate with any of them either. Kakashi noticed Kurenai had stiffened, though Shizune was pretending to ignore her.

"Ah, the fair Shizune," Gai moved towards her, "I knew I would see you here! You're much too talented to always be in the Hokage office."

Since Gai wasn't aware he should be embarrassed, Kakashi was embarrassed for him. He may not have the best of social skills, but he knew better than to say anything like _that_ out loud. But Gai sure loved a challenge, and Shizune was certainly that. Kakashi glanced at Genma, watching the whole show with a lewd grin and rolling the senbon back and forth across his teeth.

"Tch," Kurenai said loud enough for Shizune to hear, examining her perfectly manicured nails. "It doesn't take _talent _to alphabetize mission reports." She looked up from her nails to glare daggers at the medic-nin.

Shizune inclined her head and glared in the direction of the insult, raising one dainty eyebrow in defiance and meeting Kurenai's challenging expression head on. Then she turned to Gai, "On the contrary, it takes a shinobi of extremely varied skills to assist _Hokage-sama_ in managing the _entire village_."

"Oh, oh, of course!" Gai spluttered, not understanding that she wasn't really talking to him.

"Hn," Kurenai stepped forward, glaring, "Well too bad for you, Shizune, having to play with the _real_ ninjas." She tsk-ed, gesturing to the room full of shinobi.

Shizune scowled, her mouth twisted in irritation. "You obviously think being a real ninja means nightly _drunken partying_." She turned her back on Kurenai, "It would be a complete waste of my time to teach you how a _real_ shinobi behaves."

Genma nudged him with his elbow, whispering, "Hey, Kakashi–do you think they'll fight?"

Kakashi smirked under his mask at his friend's grin. He shrugged, and watched them closely. He didn't know what had happened between the two kunoichi, but he'd never seen them fight with fists. Not the way guys did.

"Ha!" Kurenai tossed her head, "You're just jealous you're never _invited_."

Shizune stiffened, but said nothing else, glaring out at the rest of the room with her thin arms crossed haughtily against her chest. Gai however, was turning red with indignation.

"Shizune, my sweet," Gai gestured gallantly, his voice booming, "It is now my personal mission to make sure you are invited to every party we have, from now on!" He turned to point his finger at the rest of them, his teeth gleaming, "Shizune is my personal guest for all time!"

Shizune scowled, waving him away, "Shut up, Gai! Just leave me alone, or I'll never make you medicine again!" Gai turned back to her in confusion, and Kakashi felt his stomach drop.

_Uh-oh_.

Gai's face fell, "What do you mean? I would never ask you for medicine! No, my sweet, your time is much to precious—"

Shizune rolled her eyes, cutting him off, "That's because you sent _Kakashi_ for it, after he beat you up in some kind of ridiculous challenge." She nodded in his direction, and Kakashi felt all of the gathered Jounin turn towards him as one, looking at him curiously.

He touched the back of his neck, smiling innocently, "Er…?"

Gai's face was horrified for a moment, and then he started to laugh. It was more than a little scary, "Ah, ha, ha, ha! Good one, my rival Kakashi!" Kakashi just watched, as Gai moved to put his arm around Shizune, though she scooted away from him.

Gai put his hands on his hips instead, boasting, "You see Shizune, my eternal rival is so jealous that our record is 137 to 136, with me in the lead, that he had to challenge me himself by pretending I needed medicine!"

Everyone looked at Gai like he was crazy, head thrown back in a hearty laugh. "HA!" He stuck a thumb into his chest, "Maito Gai does not need medicine! He wears his battle scars proudly!"

Kakashi shook his head, sighing. Geh.

"Oi, Kakashi!" Gai went on, "I accept your challenge! I will gladly fight you… even with no hands! And if you win I will NOT take any medicine! HA!"

Everyone was rolling their eyes now, and Genma elbowed him again, whispering, "Is he serious?"

Kakashi shrugged, "Who knows."

"Oi, can _I_ hit him?" Asuma asked nobody in particular, punching a fist into his open palm.

Kakashi was about to say _yes_, when they were joined by an elite ninja dressed all in navy blue. He walked over to them with his nose in the air and a proud saunter in his step, lifting a long finger to adjust his sunglasses a bit higher on his face.

"I hope you're not planning on making a scene, Gai," Ebisu smirked at the green Jounin. "I hardly believe that would be appropriate behavior in front of our esteemed Feudal Lords."

"Ha, ha!" Gai revealed his gleaming teeth, "I was just enjoying a friendly challenge with my eternal rival. Right, Kakashi?"

Kakashi waved it off, "Whatever he says."

Genma began chatting with Ebisu, and Kurenai leaned in to whisper with Asuma. Kakashi turned back to the rest of the room to find Naruto gesturing wildly at two of Gai's students, shouting about something or other. He glanced up at the clock above the double-doors. Good. It was 2:56. Things should be starting soon.

Kakashi's eye easily picked Iruka out of the crowd, though his lover was still facing the other way and still standing beside the same Chuunin. He frowned. Should he know that guy? Iruka seemed to know him pretty well…

He shook it off. Obviously Iruka had friends; he was too popular to not have a whole crowd of them. Still, it bothered him not to know more about his lover's personal life.

Kakashi glanced over at Tsunade doing her best to keep the Feudal Lords happy while they waited for all the contestants to arrive. They milled about aimlessly, though the highest concentration of bodies was around the Daimyo. Kakashi couldn't tell, but it looked like there was someone else sitting with him, hidden by several of the Shijimi staff members. Hmmm. He'd have to find out who that mysterious person was.

Naruto's voice was starting to overpower the noise in the room. He could see his student glancing back and forth from the clock to Tsunade and back, clearly worked up about something. Kakashi chuckled; Naruto probably wasn't the only one who was anxious to get things underway. The front of the room was definitely more restless than a few minutes ago.

Oh boy. This was going to be interesting, indeed.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke dropped down to street level and rushed through the hanging curtains of Ichiraku's, breathing hard from all the rooftop zig-zagging.

He flicked his eyes over the customers, clenching his teeth at the obvious absence of orange. The proprietor was about to say his usual "Welcome" when Sasuke cut him off.

"Excuse me, Teuchi-san," Sasuke moved to the counter, "Have you seen Naruto? Has he been by here?"

Teuchi looked surprised to see him there, "Oh… Sasuke-kun! What are you—"

Sasuke waved his hand sharply, "I have to find Naruto! Has he been here?"

Teuchi reached for a menu, "If you're in a hurry, I can make something to go—"

"No!" Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, trying to keep from shaking the man, "I don't want any _Ramen_! Have you seen Naruto?"

"Hmmm," Teuchi tapped his cheek, "Well he's been talking a lot about the Hunt. I'm sure you'll find him over at registration, Sasuke-kun."

"I have to find him _before_ that," Sasuke clenched his teeth so he didn't actually yell at the man.

"Oh, well," Teuchi shrugged apologetically, "He hasn't been here tod—"

Sasuke didn't wait to hear anymore. _Shit_. He dashed out of the Ramen shop and headed out towards the Forest, dodging the various festival performers and participants until he was back at roof level.

If he'd only had a _summon_, he could track the idiot directly instead of flying over the village like a maniac and praying. But _no_—Uchihas didn't have summons. Uchihas didn't need summons, they were strong enough without them. If you were as strong as Itachi, the archaic rule made sense.

But his ancestors were mistaken: Any _Uchiha_ that fell for an _Uzumaki_ definitely needed a summon.

He had fifteen minutes left. He prayed that Naruto was at the last spot he could think of, training up to the last minute before heading to the Hokage tower. If he wasn't there…

Sasuke furrowed his brow in determination. He'd find him. He _had_ to.

* * *

--

* * *

Iruka walked up the steps to the Hokage tower in his normal, brisk pace, physically comfortable now that he was in his own clothing.

Emotionally though, it had been a rather trying day, with not much else to look forward to. He was still annoyed about Kakashi sharing some highly intimate details of their relationship with Sasuke. It would have helped a great deal if Kakashi had at least confessed that Sasuke knew _certain_ things sometime before said prodigy coaxed him into a tea shop for advice.

He'd _never_ have seen that coming in a million years.

Iruka sighed. He'd done what he could to help out, but mostly it had been mortifying; for Sasuke as well. Naruto had better not try to ask him anything. He'd definitely explode if there was any more embarrassment in the next twelve hours.

Iruka also had mixed feelings about fighting in the Hunt, and was trying to sort them out when he heard someone call his name.

"Iruka! Iruka, wait up!" Iruka stopped and looked back the way he'd come, seeing his friend and fellow teacher Mozuku jogging up the steps.

Iruka smiled and waved back, "Hey Mozuku!"

Mozuku grinned, squaring his glasses from his uphill sprint and running a hand over his navy bandana. "Hey, are you going up for registration?" He filed in step beside Iruka.

Iruka nodded, "Yeah. I decided to enter after all."

"Well _good_," Mozuku laughed, thumping him on the back. "Then I know I'll have at least one good opponent!"

Iruka chuckled as they passed the Hokage office doors, "Oh I think there's going to be lots of strong opponents."

He began to list them in his head: Kakashi, Naruto… and Asuma and Kurenai… Iruka's gut clenched with the desire to take out the Jounin who'd underestimated him.

"Yeah," Mozuku nodded, interrupting his musings, "But we have an advantage, don't we?"

Iruka glanced over, raising an eyebrow.

Mozuku grinned, "We did _teach_ a lot of them!"

Iruka laughed, "Yeah, but these aren't ten-year-olds anymore."

"Still," Mozuku insisted as they passed through the open double-doors to the middle of the large room. "It's better than knowing nothing at all."

Iruka swept his eyes across the room, making note of who was there already. Naruto was hard to miss, grinning brightly as he conversed with two of his comrades, dressed as usual in orange. Straight ahead were tables crammed full of Feudal Lords and sprinkled with assistants to Tsunade. Morino Ibiki recognized him and waved, and Iruka smiled and raised a hand in greeting. Ibiki then turned back to the Hokage, showing her something he had written on his clipboard.

Iruka turned to the right, seeing a clump of Jounin by the windows. His breath caught when he saw Kakashi, and their eyes almost met before his lover turned his attention back to the Jounin with the needle… Genma? Something like that. Iruka caught some movement out of the corner of his eye, to see Mozuku in mid-wave.

"Hey! Gen—" Mozuku started to call out to his friend, but stopped.

Iruka followed Mozuku's gaze to see Genma sliding his arm around Kakashi's shoulders. He felt a flare of anger—_What the hell_? Iruka bit his lip, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He knew sometimes Kakashi went to parties with his other friends, but Iruka never imagined any of them treated him like that. He did _not_ like it at all.

"Aw, that Genma. He's a kidder, eh?" Mozuku chuckled, while they watched Genma stroking Kakashi's masked face and snuggling up against him.

Iruka forced his eyebrows back apart, not finding it funny at all, "I guess."

"Yeah, he's always teasing someone about something," Mozuku shook his head. "But still, I wouldn't do _that_ if I were him."

Iruka raised an eyebrow, turning away from the scene to regard his friend. "You mean… with another guy?"

Mozuku shrugged, then nodded at the two Jounin, "Don't you know who that is?"

Iruka looked at the two Jounin, confused, "Who? Kakashi?"

Mozuku raised his eyebrows, his voice deliberate in his pronunciation, "_Sha-rin-gan Kakashi_. That's the infamous Copy-ninja."

"Oh. So it is." Iruka watched Genma stop rubbing his lover's cheek, and say something to Kurenai, his arm still draped casually around Kakashi's shoulders. Iruka turned away from them, facing the rest of the Chuunin instead. It might be safer that way.

Mozuku shook his head, moving more to Iruka's side, "You'd have to be nuts to get that close to him. He could kill you before you even realized you were dead."

Iruka's heart squeezed tight to hear someone speak about Kakashi that way. But it was true, so he couldn't argue. He tightened his arms across his body and focused instead on his former students, trying to decide if he was more sorry or excited that he'd be fighting them no holds barred.

"Aaaaaaaaah! Iruka-sensei?" Naruto called out with gusto, pointing and wide-eyed from shock. He must have just noticed him.

Iruka smiled, "Hey, Naruto!" He moved closer to exchange greetings with Konohamaru and Shikamaru, with Mozuku not far behind him.

"Tch," Shikamaru commented, rolling his eyes, "You're entering this lame contest too, Iruka-sensei?"

"Yep," Iruka laughed, relaxing a bit.

"But," Naruto shifted his feet in agitation, "But Iruka- sensei! You never said anything to _me_ about it!"

"Oi," Iruka crossed his arms, remembering for a weird moment that there'd been a time when he could look very far down his nose at Naruto. He looked across at him now instead.

"Sounds like you might be _scared_." Iruka grinned.

"Not even a tiny bit!" Naruto broke out in a huge grin, chuckling, "I just didn't think you were going to enter is all."

"Well naturally," Iruka laughed, ruffling his blond hair.

"Hey, Shikamaru," Naruto tugged on his classmate's elbow, "You should have seen Iruka-sensei at the Fire Archery booth last night! It was _amazing_!" The blond gestured wildly, recounting to his two friends how Iruka had pulled off the trick shot.

Iruka smiled at Naruto's antics, feeling Mozuku nudge him with his elbow. He turned, "Hmm?"

"Fire Archery?" Mozuku shifted his glasses, raising his brows in question.

"Yeah," Iruka flushed a little, looking at his feet. "There was a booth outside the coliseum, and I got a bulls-eye. Naruto's making it a big deal."

"Hmmm," Mozuku grinned, "There's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?"

Iruka waved it off, and they both stepped aside as a giant white dog lumbered past them. Everyone shifted to let the two human newcomers be part of the group, Naruto of course being the first and loudest to shout everyone's names.

"Kiba! Shino!"

Iruka made sure to keep the Jounin at his back as they maneuvered to accommodate the growing group of Chuunin, and he waved at two more shinobi he knew from the mission office who filed in behind the younger guys. He really didn't want to know if any other groping was going on by the windows; he _hated_ that he couldn't go up there like he wanted to and shove that needle right into that guy's neck—

Iruka shook himself out of the brief fantasy, watching as Naruto bounded over to his friends, grinning like usual. Kiba's smile was nearly as large, though it was always a bit hard to tell what Shino was thinking.

"Ah, Iwashi!" Mozuku turned to greet another arrival on the Chuunin side, and Iruka smiled warmly at their friend from the mission office.

Unlike them, Iwashi usually wore the plain gray uniform like Kotetsu and Izumo. He wasn't a teacher, so Iruka didn't think much of it, though it did amuse him that he and Mozuku both preferred to wear bandanas.

"Hey guys," Iwashi came over, his shoulders hunched and his eyes darting back and forth across the room. He stroked his goatee, looking very nervous.

"Iruka, have you seen…" Iwashi swallowed, moving to bite one of his nails. Iruka's eyes narrowed in concern as he continued, "Where's the Uchiha? Is he here yet?"

"That's right," Mozuku turned to him as well, and Iruka moved his eyes back and forth between them. "I forgot I was going to ask you about him. He was in your class, right?"

Iruka nodded, trying to reassure them, "He's not here yet, no. And anyways, I heard that he's not going to compete at all. Why?"

Iwashi shook his head, but Mozuku smiled, "I've been hearing a lot about the last Hunt, especially at the mission office last night. I mean, Itachi man, he kicked everyone's ass! And then he _disappeared_."

"So I hear," Iruka agreed. Even Kakashi hadn't wanted to talk about it. It was very curious.

"Yeah, so everyone is wondering what his little brother is going to do, y'know?" Mozuku shook his head. "I'm kinda disappointed he won't be coming."

"He better not," Iwashi spat, and Iruka and Mozuku both turned to stare at him.

When nobody said anything else, Iwashi went on. "If the Uchiha shows up, I'm _gone_. I only came to see if he was here. If he doesn't show, then I'll stay. But I won't fight an Uchiha. Not again. _No way_."

Iruka bit his lip, "Well I'm pretty sure he's not coming. I heard it from… er, a reliable source. But anyways, Sasuke isn't some _monster_. And it's not like we'll be trying to kill each other."

Mozuku snapped his fingers, "_Sasuke_, that's right. I was trying to remember his name."

"Well you'd be smart to stay out of it if he shows up."

Iwashi seemed completely serious. Iruka and Mozuku exchanged a glance, then Mozuku shrugged and they turned their attention back to the front of the room.

Iruka sighed. Poor Sasuke! Everyone was treating him so badly, just because of something his brother did a decade ago. It was really unfair. Iruka personally supported him for choosing to stay out of the Hunt. He obviously had a strong enough reputation without needing to win a festival competition, and Iruka knew he was skilled enough to back up that reputation if he ever needed to.

Naruto's voice broke through to catch his attention; his student was yelling again, surrounded by even more of his comrades. Iruka recognized Hyuuga Neji, and Rock Lee… and their kunoichi teammate. Hmmm, Gai-sensei's whole team was there to compete.

Suddenly Naruto's voice rose above all other noise.

"Gaaaah!" Naruto ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "Quit asking me about _Sasuke_! Sasuke-Sasuke-Sasuke, _SHUT THE HELL UP_!"

Iruka took a step over to the blond, his voice stern, "Naruto! What's going on here? Lower your voice!"

"Jeez," Naruto glared at him, then looked at the clock above the door, turning to face Tsunade at the front of the room. "Let's get this over with!" He crossed his arms, his whole body shaking in irritation.

Iruka glanced up over his shoulder to see what time it was: 2:58.

He sighed. He completely agreed that getting this over with was a really great idea. Everyone's collective stress was escalating the general unrest of the whole situation—even the Feudal Lords were restless at the front of the room, and Tsunade looked like she was bearing the brunt of it.

Well it wouldn't be too much longer now, from the look on her face. He glanced at Mozuku, standing perfectly calm on his left, and Iwashi, standing perfectly rattled on his right. Iruka shifted his arms more comfortably, finding it appropriate to be somewhere in the middle as they waited for things to get going.

He knew one thing for sure; after all this buildup, the Hunt itself might seem really easy.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke darted through the trees with lightning speed, heading to their old training grounds where they'd first tried to take the bells from Kakashi.

It was still Naruto's default training spot, even after all these years, and it was the last place Sasuke could think to look for him without having to go to the Hokage tower. He really wanted to let Naruto know what he was planning before it was too late—the moron was clearly not fond of _surprises_.

How could he be so hard to find? He was usually shouting about something or other somewhere, or laughing, or causing some kind of scene. Not to mention his bright hair and bright training suits—Naruto was the _least_ subtle ninja that ever was. Sasuke actually smirked despite his increasing sense of urgency. Thinking of the blond often did that to him.

He slowed down when he reached the clearing, scanning the open training area for any sign of his teammate.

"Naruto!" he called out, bursting from the trees and turning in circles as he skipped across the grass, scanning from all angles.

Sasuke stopped when he realized that Naruto really wasn't there. It was completely empty. He closed his eyes, leaning forward with his hands on his thighs, trying to calm down his agitated breathing.

He probably should have just gone to the Hokage tower. It was obvious that wherever Naruto had been all afternoon, he'd only be in one place at this point. But Sasuke really hadn't wanted to go there until he knew he had no other choice. And it wasn't so farfetched for Naruto to be running late…

"Dammit!" Sasuke grumbled, making a fist and striking his leg with it in irritation.

He really had no other options.

He took a deep breath, and straightened up, shaking some of his hair back from his face, and gauging by his internal clock that it was about five minutes until 3:00.

He turned his sandals in the direction of the Hokage tower, and sprinted off to set his plan in motion, his face determined, and one thought on his mind:

Naruto had _better_ appreciate all the trouble he'd be going through to help him win.

* * *

--

* * *

"Aaaaaaaaah! Iruka-sensei?" Naruto was totally shocked to see his teacher, pointing at him in disbelief. He couldn't believe it! He was going to have to fight Iruka? No way!

Iruka smiled back like it was no big deal, "Hey, Naruto!"

His sensei walked towards him with another teacher whose name he forgot, and everyone shifted to give them some room. But when had Iruka decided to enter the Hunt? He could have mentioned it, as it's not like they hadn't seen each other lately.

"Tch," Shikamaru commented, rolling his eyes, "You're entering this lame contest too, Iruka-sensei?"

"Yep," Iruka laughed, smiling his friendly smile.

"But," Naruto felt completely agitated, "But Iruka- sensei! You never said anything to _me_ about it!"

"Oi," Iruka's face got all intense like he was getting mad. "Sounds like you might be _scared_." Then Iruka grinned, which made Naruto realize he was just having fun.

"Not even a tiny bit!" Naruto grinned back, chuckling and putting his hands on his hips, "I just didn't think you were going to enter is all."

"Well naturally," Iruka laughed, ruffling his blond hair. Naruto pulled his head away automatically, laughing.

It could be worse. Even if they did have to fight each other, Naruto felt like they'd still be friends afterwards, no matter how things turned out. And maybe he'd learn some new things from fighting with this sensei; Iruka had been very impressive at the festival last night. He turned to Shikamaru, wanting to brag about their former teacher.

"Hey, Shikamaru," Naruto tugged on his classmate's elbow, "You should have seen Iruka-sensei at the Fire Archery booth last night! It was _amazing_!"

"Fire _Archery_? Tch," Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "When does a ninja need to shoot a bow and arrow?"

"It's not for _ninjas_, it's just for fun!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Where'd you do that, bro?" Konohamaru piped up, eyeing Iruka curiously as the teacher became involved in conversation with two other guys.

"Near the stadium, there was a booth with all these targets, and this weird man, but the arrows were on fire and—" Naruto answered, making big gestures, though he was cut off by the brassy voice of another classmate ambling towards them with his enormous white dog.

"Oi!" Kiba taunted, "Are you still bragging about that shot you made, Naruto?"

Naruto grinned despite being interrupted, seeing Kiba and Shino approach. He knew they'd both arrive at some point for registration, and he was very excited about fighting them.

"Kiba! Shino!" Naruto grinned and moved towards them, seeing Kiba's answering grin and Shino's… well whatever Shino did. It was impossible to tell sometimes.

"I can't let you have _all_ the fun, eh Naruto?" Kiba smirked, his hands in his pants pockets. He looked different without the fluffy coat. More dangerous maybe.

"Just you wait!" Naruto boasted back, reaching out to mess up Kiba's hair, but Kiba stepped back out of the way, still smirking playfully. Akamaru rubbed his huge head against Naruto's hip, barking a request, and Naruto grinned, petting the giant dog instead.

"Ah!" Konohamaru exclaimed, moving off towards two kunoichi that had arrived. Naruto was craning his neck to see who else was there, when Shino's voice caught his attention.

"Sasuke," he said, his presence as intimidating as usual. "Where is he?"

Naruto scowled, rolling his eyes, "He's _not_ coming, all right? So don't bother me about him." Shino's eyebrows drew together ominously, but he remained silent, unlike his teammate.

"Oh?" Kiba chuckled, puffing out his chest, "Too chicken to fight with the rest of us, huh?"

Naruto glared. He didn't like it when anyone else tried to insult his rival. "You just worry about _me_, dog breath! I'm more than enough to take you out!"

"Whatever," Kiba laughed, completely unperturbed. He started to look around the room at the other opponents.

"My, my, my," said a high, sultry voice. Naruto turned to the doorway to see Ino and Chouji enter. Shikamaru sighed, and Naruto thought he heard him whisper, _ "Damn…"_

Kiba and Shino moved over to let the two newcomers join the group, though Akamaru seemed content to rest against Naruto's leg for the moment. Chouji was eating his favorite snack, nodding his greeting between fistfuls, and Ino was stalking towards them in her usual strip-tease manner, her outfit nearly as scandalous as the swaying of her hips.

"Well what do we have here?" She made a disappointed face at him. "_You're_ the only one I see from Team Seven. Where is Sasuke-kun hiding?"

Naruto put a hand on his hip, annoyed, "Only one ninja can win this competition, so who cares what team we're on?"

"You changed your mind about competing, Ino?" Shikamaru asked, his hands casually in his pockets.

Ino's face lit up, "Well! After I heard that the Hunt takes place at night, I decided I simply _had_ to compete." She put a hand to her brow and closed her eyes like she was going to swoon, "A chance to be alone in the forest … with Sasuke-kun… _all night_… It's not something I could pass up."

Naruto scowled darkly at her. He'd forgotten how much she annoyed him, pursuing Sasuke relentlessly and fighting with Sakura. It made him irritated just hearing her say his teammate's name, and his belly twisted with jealousy. _Nobody_ got to spend the night with Sasuke but _him_.

"Oi, Ino," Naruto pointed at her, "You're not going to get your wish, because Sasuke isn't going to be in the Hunt!" He was glad to see it ruined her dramatic moment, as she stiffened and glared at him, hands on her hips.

"_Na-ru-to_…" Her voice wasn't so sweet now, "I don't believe you! Where is he?" She flipped her hair from side to side, checking to see if she'd somehow overlooked him.

Naruto grinned back at her, folding his arms, smug. "I don't care if you believe it or not—but he's _definitely_ not coming!" He could see Shikamaru shaking his head at her antics, and Chouji rolling his eyes as she frantically searched. Naruto didn't feel at all sorry.

"Naruto-kun!" Someone was waving at him, calling out in a friendly voice.

Naruto turned away from the annoying Ino, and found himself grinning at the sight of a ninja in the goofy green training suit. "Oi! Fuzzy Brows!" He waved as Lee came up to him, Neji and Tenten not far behind him.

Lee jogged the last of the way over, "Naruto! Is Sakura here yet? I haven't seen her in a while, where is she? She's competing right?" He turned his head back and forth comically, and Naruto laughed.

"She's not in Konoha, Lee," Naruto answered, watching Lee deflate at the news. "She's doing an internship in Suna."

Too bad for Lee; Sakura liked him well enough, but she'd never agreed to go out with him no matter how many times or how many ways he asked.

Naruto watched as Lee suddenly brightened, shouting, "AHA!" He thrust his wrapped fist in the air, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. "Then I have even more reason to beat everyone here, so that she'll hear the news of my victory all the way in Suna!"

"Sorry Lee," Naruto grinned, pointing at his hitai-ate, "_I'm_ the one who's going to be the Champion of Konoha!"

"Oh, _Lee_," Tenten sighed, smiling at her teammate's energy, and coming up to the two of them with Neji beside her.

"Hey guys," Naruto waved as they came up closer. Tenten waved her dainty fingers, and Neji nodded, his face cool and confident like always.

Naruto became aware of the increasing buzz in the room, and glanced at the clock above the doors. It was 2:55, and the room was almost packed. The Chuunin and Jounin had somehow self-segregated on opposite sides, but there seemed to be an equal number of both ranks. Naruto turned and faced the Feudal Lords, watching their bustling activity at the front of the room curiously until he heard his name.

"Naruto," the Hyuuga called to him in his even, calm voice.

Naruto turned around, lacing his fingers behind his head, "Yeah?"

Neji's brows creased, like he was concerned about something, "Where's Sasuke?"

"Aaaaah!" Naruto groaned loudly, "Not you too!" He dropped his arms to his sides in extreme annoyance, "For the _last_ time, Sasuke is _NOT_ coming!"

Neji looked surprised, his voice a little less controlled than his expression. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!" Naruto clenched his hands into fists, "He told me himself!"

"But that doesn't make sense," Lee added, standing by his teammate, "Sasuke's _always_ in competitions, even the ones Gai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei arrange."

"Well he's not coming to _this_ one," Naruto ran an angry hand through his hair.

It was really starting to piss him off that all anyone could talk about was Sasuke. What the hell was wrong with people? Who cared if Sasuke competed or not?

"Why wouldn't he compete? Did he give a reason?" Neji asked.

"Who cares! Forget about him, there's plenty of others to fight." Naruto gestured to the room full of high level shinobi, his teeth bared in his frustration.

"But still, I really expected Sasuke-kun to—" Lee tried to get his words out but Naruto had had enough!

"Gaaaah!" Naruto ran his hands through his hair in frustration, ready to hit the next person who said his rival's name, "Quit asking me about _Sasuke_! Sasuke-Sasuke-Sasuke, _SHUT THE HELL UP_!"

Neji and Lee both looked startled at the outburst, neither of them happy about being shouted at so rudely. They weren't the only ones who'd noticed; Naruto saw Iruka's face turn angrily in his direction, along with most of the shinobi nearby.

Iruka took a couple of steps towards him, his voice stern, "Naruto! What's going on here? Lower your voice!"

"Jeez," Naruto glared at his sensei, glancing up at the clock above the door. He clenched his teeth, turning to face Tsunade at the front of the room. Two minutes to three; it was time to get started! He could hear whispering all around him; the most repeated syllables were _"Sa", "su"_, and_ "ke"_. It made him sick.

"Let's get this over with!" He said, crossing his arms angrily, his whole body shaking in frustration that all anyone seemed to care about was fighting _Uchiha Sasuke_. Sasuke wasn't even there, so how was it that his name was the only one being spoken?

It didn't look like anyone at the front of the room was paying attention to the time. He glanced back at the clock, but the hands had barely moved. No one near Tsunade seemed to be getting to their seats or preparing in any way to begin with the registration process. He tapped his foot angrily, looking back and forth from Tsunade to the clock until the hands rested squarely on three and twelve.

Naruto moved closer to the front of the gathered Chuunin, pointing at the Hokage, "Oi! It's 3:00, so let's get this thing going!"

"_Naruto_!"

He heard Iruka's voice from several feet back, scolding him for yelling, but he didn't care. He wanted things to get moving so that he could finally hear what the Hunt was all about instead of the urgent whispering about his rival. He met Tsunade's eyes without cringing, though she looked ready to skin him alive for his impertinence.

"Pipe down," she ordered him, rising from her seat and bracing her palms on the surface of the table.

Naruto yelled at her anyways, "It's time to start, Tsunade-no—er, Tsunade-sama," He corrected himself, feeling that maybe it was better to be a little more formal. "You said so yourself! Be here at 3:00 sharp!"

She glared at him, and he humphed with satisfaction, knowing he'd caught her with her own words. People around him were muttering at his behavior, but he didn't care—as long as it stopped the ringing of Sasuke's name in his ears from their gossiping whispers.

The Feudal Lord next to her leaned closer to whisper something, and Tsunade's eyes shifted down as she listened to what he had to say. Naruto's brow creased as he watched, unable to hear or see what was being said, but anticipating that he wasn't going to like the outcome.

When the Feudal Lord finished whispering, Tsunade gave a little nod, and then met Naruto's eyes, hers burning with intensity. The room had hushed on its own, but nevertheless even the air itself stilled out of respect for the Godaime Hokage as she straightened up to her full height, and looked around the room.

"My apologies, but we will be delaying registration for ten minutes while we finalize some last-minute details. We will begin shortly, so please wait _quietly_."

She sat down, her honey-colored eyes flicking to Naruto, daring him to make another outburst; he gritted his teeth against the nearly irresistible urge to do so. Naruto turned around so he could watch the clock, which made him able to see everyone's reactions to the announcement.

"Oh boy," Shikamaru groaned, sighing.

Chouji opened another bag of potato chips and continued eating, not caring at all about the delay.

3:01

Ino combed her fingers through her long pale hair, primping like she was waiting for Sasuke to arrive and sweep her away for the date of a lifetime.

Kiba looked around at the gathered opponents, his eyes sparkling like a wolf in the center of a flock of sheep. Akamaru sat dutifully beside him, panting.

Shino stood.

3:02

Neji waited in a relaxed manner, cool and composed.

Lee balanced on one foot. Naruto frowned; was that some kind of training?

Tenten used a kunai to give herself a manicure.

3:03

Iruka was talking to the teacher who's name he couldn't remember, his brows furrowed.

The teacher guy was looking straight at _him_. Naruto glared.

Some other guy was stroking his goatee, looking very nervous.

3:04

Konohamaru whispered to Hanabi, his arm around her shoulders.

Hanabi giggled at whatever he was whispering.

A kunoichi near them with brown dreadlocks was rolling her eyes.

3:05

Naruto couldn't stand it! Why did they have to wait? There was no reason to delay, everyone who wanted to compete was _right here_. You'd have to be less than a Genin not to feel the undercurrent of fighting spirit that was churning around everyone from their collective tension.

He turned from the clock, glancing at the group of Jounin and finding them in similar states of unrest and boredom. Kakashi stared across the room, watching something out the window behind the Feudal Lords and looking bored. Everyone tried to look like they were handling the stress just fine, but Naruto could feel chakra being leaked from all over the room.

He faced the front again, hoping that he'd see something that would account for the delay. There were many people clustered around Tsunade, though Naruto saw another large clump gathered close by as if there were someone within them that didn't want to be seen. It was very curious, but he didn't know what he could do to find out who it was until the meeting was over.

"Tch," he grumbled, wanting things to be over with as soon as possible. He shifted his feet in agitation until Shikamaru put a hand on his arm.

"Settle down, Naruto," he said, stilling him with the pressure of his hand, "It won't do any good to get worked up."

"But why the delay?" he asked, "It doesn't make sense!"

"Who knows?" Shikamaru let go of his arm, and shrugged. "Ten minutes isn't a big deal, so just keep quiet."

Naruto nodded, though it was nearly impossible to keep himself still, or quiet. It _was_ a big deal. It was ten more minutes he had to stand there with everyone thinking he wasn't worth fighting, and ten more minutes he had to stand there knowing everyone only wanted to fight _Sasuke_.

He didn't want to think about Sasuke, since it meant also having to think about how he was going to tell Sasuke that everyone there was asking about him. Sasuke had been so uncomfortable last night, with everyone in the stadium staring and pointing at him—Naruto didn't expect him to be pleased that the competing ninja weren't any different.

Good lord, let it be time to begin!

Naruto looked back over his shoulder—3:09. He shuffled his feet again, glancing back and forth until finally—finally!—the time had come.

He stepped forward again, pointing at Tsunade, "Oi! It's ten after three, so let's get this thing going!"

Tsunade glared at him, and then turned back to the Feudal Lord who was gesturing urgently at her. She nodded and whispered, then held out her hand to shush him, whispering something back with an expression that said she wouldn't be discussing the issue further. He saw her glance towards the gathered Jounin, raising an eyebrow in silent question to one of them.

Naruto turned to see who she was looking at, but couldn't tell exactly whose eye she'd caught since most of them were looking at her. He looked back to Tsunade, whose expression was suddenly more worried than a minute ago.

He gritted his teeth again, not understanding what the delay was all about. "OI, OI, OI, OI!" he shouted, then lowered his pointing finger when Tsunade stood up, silencing him with one look.

"Ibiki," she said, nodding to the Jounin, who strolled out onto the floor with his clipboard, his long black coat billowing ominously behind him. Everyone parted before him, giving him a path to the doors which he closed with a thud. He then returned to the front of the room as Tsunade began to give instructions.

"First we'll take down the names and ranks of all of you competing in the Scavenger Hunt—" She was forced to stop because Naruto interrupted her with his loud voice.

"Then I'll be the first one to give you my name!" He took a quick step forward, shouting past the shinobi in front of him. He pointed at the Feudal Lord that had been whispering to Tsunade, "I'm the great Uzumaki Naruto! Current rank: Chuunin! Future rank: Hokage!"

He turned to face the center of the room, sweeping his pointing finger to indicate everyone there, "You may as well leave now, because I won't lose to any of you!"

The room exploded in angry grumbles, both from the other combatants and from Tsunade. Iruka was the closest one to scold him, his "teacher's voice" carrying the farthest, though lots of the ninja in the room were glaring at him with intense irritation and voicing their contradicting opinions of his little speech.

Naruto grinned, pleased to have everyone's full attention for the first time since he entered the room.

A Jounin with sunglasses raised his hand, shouting out his name, "Yamashiro Aoba, Jounin! And I too won't lose!"

This was quickly followed by, "Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru, Chuunin! You guys are all dead meat!" Kiba thrust his fist in the air, grinning excitedly as Akamaru barked his agreement. If he had his own tail, Naruto thought Kiba would be wagging it just as happily as his nin-dog.

Naruto watched as more and more shinobi in the room began to shout out their names, their voices drowning each other out as they called from all directions. Tsunade was holding out her hands and yelling out commands for silence, but Naruto could tell that everyone was getting much too worked up to listen to her.

Ibiki stopped writing on his clipboard when the chaos got to be too much for anyone to hear what anyone else was shouting, and he added his own booming voice to the din and tried to get everyone to calm down. The room thundered with battle cries, and Naruto felt a thrill through his core at the room's collective eagerness to fight.

Iruka had worked his way through the shouting shinobi, and grabbed his elbow, scolding him, "Look what you've done, Naruto!"

Naruto laughed loudly, excited, "Isn't it great? This is what fighting is all about, right?"

Iruka's eyes flashed with anger, "This is _NOT_ how a shinobi shows his respect to the Hokage, or to the Feudal Lords!"

Naruto shook his elbow free. "It has nothing to do with that!" he argued, and Iruka tried to grab him again, but he dodged. He tensed his muscles and met his sensei's furious eyes with his own, ready to fight for real if Iruka—or anyone else—criticized him, when the double doors at the back of the room opened with a loud _creak_.

Everyone around him turned, the cool draft of air alerting those who hadn't heard the noise that someone new had just arrived. Naruto scowled at the interruption and the sudden silence, turning his head angrily to see what was going on. What was it _now_? This was so annoying! He just wanted to hear the details of the Hu—

The thought died the instant his blue eyes met the red Sharingan of his rival.

It was only for a fraction of a second, but Naruto felt his heart grow cold from the look in them—the look of a deadly assassin. He wasn't sure Sasuke had even recognized him. He could hardly recognize _Sasuke_.

His rival stood regally in the doorway; his arms holding the doors open without effort as he paused and allowed his mere presence to captivate each and every person in the room. Nobody said a word; everyone was too busy being shocked that he was there, the infamous Uchiha.

Naruto's gut clenched—what the hell was he doing here? His heart started to pound with dread.

This didn't seem right.

This didn't _feel_ right.

When Sasuke had everyone's attention, he stepped forward, letting the doors close behind him. His mouth curved into his signature smirk, made all the more intense by the red of his eyes. Naruto's knees wobbled as his rival started to cross the large room, walking down the center aisle that had been made earlier by Ibiki.

Sasuke's confident steps were fluid, somehow sensual and dangerous at the same time; Naruto salivated at the sight of him in the mesh shirt. He'd always had a hard time dealing with Sasuke's dark beauty, but now—now that he'd _tasted_ most of the skin that was partially revealed by the weave of the mesh…

He wouldn't have guessed Sasuke would wear something like that, but now that he'd seen it, he had to admit that he'd never seen his teammate look sexier. Naruto swallowed, clenching a fist at the conflicting waves of desire and surging confusion.

What in god's name was Sasuke doing _here_?

The room had seemed intense before, but _now_—Naruto found it hard to breathe from the collective power soaking the room, swirling towards the center of the disturbance. No, he corrected; power and _fear_. Sasuke, walking calmly and deliberately past all the stares and scowls of the gathered shinobi, appeared unaffected by any of it.

Naruto couldn't take his eyes off of his rival as he made his way up the center of the room to stand before the Hokage. Naruto clenched his other fist, waiting for Sasuke to look at him so he could try and ask what he was doing there. But Sasuke wasn't looking at any of them, standing in his familiar pose of bored superiority, letting his intense chakra signature show everyone how strong he was.

Naruto gritted his teeth. He hated to be ignored, and he was more than angry that Sasuke had managed once again to steal the spotlight. He bared his teeth, seeing the Feudal Lords all whispering urgently to each other and gesturing to Sasuke.

Naruto couldn't stand it, his breath hissing through his clenched teeth as he took an angry step forward to demand an explanation from his rival.

But Sasuke beat him to it–facing Tsunade and pitching his voice so that no one would miss the arrogance of his words.

"Sorry I'm late," he smirked, shifting his weight onto one leg and placing a hand on his hip. "But there's one more name you need to mark down."

Naruto's jaw dropped at this announcement; he was shocked beyond belief that Sasuke was here to register. _No way_! Everyone around him was murmuring, but Naruto could barely hear it over the pounding of blood in his ears. It had to be a lie.

Sasuke just said he was here to fight. And that meant Naruto was going to have to fight him. Naruto was aware that his fingernails were digging painfully into his palm, but what hurt more was the piercing feeling of utter betrayal.

He'd said he was going to help him; he'd said he didn't want to compete.

Naruto felt like a fool for believing him—when had Sasuke _ever _passed up a chance to prove that he was better?

His body began to shake with rage, embarrassed that he'd trusted Sasuke's words about teamwork, mortified that Sasuke had actually spent the night in his bed while planning on defeating him and winning the Hunt for himself.

How could he do all _that_, and now do _this_?

There wasn't a word to describe the kind of pain he felt when Ibiki asked for his teammate's name, and Naruto shut his eyes tight when he heard Sasuke's low, velvety voice answer, vibrating with the strength of his challenge to them all:

"_Uchiha……Sasuke_."

* * *

[to be continued...]


	11. Chapter 11

**

* * *

**

**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 11:

* * *

Sasuke left the empty training grounds and didn't stop running even when he reached the steps that curved up to the Hokage's office.

Unlike the rest of Konoha celebrating in hedonistic noise and color, this part of the village seemed unusually still. He noted that the Hokage's guards weren't standing at her door as he ran past; Kotetsu and Izumo must be in the conference room. Sasuke's expression darkened as he made his way to where registration was underway, if not over—he was going to be more than ten minutes late.

The hallway was empty and still as he approached the double doors of the conference room. He skidded to a halt behind them, senses on high alert as he could hear a massive group of people all yelling at the same time, even through the thick wood. _'What the hell is going on in there?' _ The intense energy thrumming on the other side didn't help him feel better about what he had to do, and he took a few moments to compose himself alone in the hall.

Sasuke closed his eyes, leaning forward with hands on his thighs, letting his breathing and heart rate settle down. He needed to appear calm and collected even though he was _sick _ with anxiety about how Naruto would react to his sudden appearance.

This part was the only flaw in the plan that he could find—he'd really wanted to have a chance to explain _why_ he had to be part of the Hunt before he went in to register.

Sasuke clenched his teeth, hating to admit that it might actually work out _better _this way. Naruto would honestly act like he didn't expect him to be there, and then the rest of his plan could be executed without a hitch. In fact, Sasuke needed everyone there to believe that their rivalry and general animosity towards each other was still as strong as ever. It was essential.

He coughed and then grimaced, clearing his lungs as his breathing calmed down to normal. While Naruto wasn't the best of actors, Sasuke had been willing to put the plan at risk by telling him about it first, if only to spare him any unnecessary anger or anxiety or confusion—whichever it was that Naruto would feel the moment he walked through that door after saying repeatedly that he wouldn't. They'd been teammates far too long for Sasuke to hope that Naruto could wait patiently for the whole story before reacting.

Naruto was the resident expert at _overreacting _.

But Sasuke knew he couldn't worry about that now; he no longer had a choice about whether or not to tell Naruto anything. What was most important was making sure he did everything he could so Naruto could win the Hunt in the end—he'd just have to trust that Naruto would believe in him. And he had to believe enough in _Naruto _ to go through the door, to trust that even if his teammate got mad, he'd give him a chance to explain it all later.

Sasuke stood up, and smoothed his hands down his mesh shirt. He tried not to be annoyed that he hadn't been able to change; his original intention for wearing the mesh shirt seemed very distant now that he was facing the doors of a room teeming with strong shinobi, prepped to go in there and piss them all off.

His appearance was only one more thing that would work in his favor if he could disregard his real feelings about it. He adjusted the hem of the mesh so the seams were aligned, and tried to minimize the evidence that he'd been running all over the village for the last half hour.

It was time to go in.

He inhaled slowly; closing his eyes, he drew his fierce pride in the Uchiha clan to the surface. He let it flow over him, along with the memories of Itachi's power to steel his nerves, and the depth of feeling he had for his rival to harden him with purpose. He had to go in there with nothing short of confidence; believing utterly that whoever dared to challenge him was a fool.

He had to go in there with the attitude that he was unstoppable.

For Naruto, he _was _.

Sasuke's eyes bled to the red of the Sharingan as he set his jaw; he'd show them all what the Uchiha clan was made of. With his heart pounding in his chest, Sasuke pushed open the doors.

* * *

--

* * *

"Oi! It's 3:00, so let's get this thing going!"

Kakashi kept his hands in his pockets, though he was itching to remind Naruto that they were in a formal, public setting; the blond still didn't understand that his actions also reflected on his superiors. It was a good thing Iruka was nearby. Of everyone assembled, Naruto was the most vocal in reaction to the stress.

Now if only _Iruka _would look over this way; it was strange not to receive even a small acknowledgement from his lover now that there was plenty of opportunity for it to seem natural. Kakashi's eyes settled on Iruka's head. Then he moved his attention to the front of the room, where the Daimyo and his staff appeared to be quite flustered by Naruto's outburst.

"Pipe down," Tsunade ordered his student, rising to lean forward.

"It's time to start, Tsunade-no—er, Tsunade-sama," Naruto was shaking his fist. "You said so yourself! Be here at 3:00 _sharp _!"

"Oh ho," Genma leaned over and whispered in Kakashi's left ear, "There he goes again, that kid."

"Hmm," Kakashi muttered a response, managing to sound bored while he focused his attention on the details at the front of the room.

Tsunade didn't acknowledge Naruto's statement, and Kakashi watched closely as the Daimyo moved closer to the Hokage and began to speak. There were nine other Lords present and listening in, one in particular wringing his hands. Tsunade inclined her head the slightest bit towards the Daimyo, and Kakashi managed to read the man's lips from where he was standing:

_"Tsunade-sama, I must insist on a delay. We have all gathered here to evaluate the competitors, but there is one competitor missing—how can we form an opinion without everyone present? I insist we wait at least ten more minutes; surely that can be arranged …"_

Kakashi's stomach tightened from this information, mostly in sympathy of their impending disappointment that no one else was coming no matter how long they waited. It was obvious from their interest that he'd have to watch the Uchiha district a little closer than he'd originally intended. The Daimyo was clever—making his demand seem like a request, which Tsunade could hardly deny.

Sure enough, Tsunade nodded, then straightened and brought the room to a respectful silence. Naruto's expression was fierce, but he'd shut his mouth for the moment, eyes glued to the Hokage like everyone else.

"My apologies, but we will be delaying registration for ten minutes while we finalize some last-minute details. We will begin shortly, so please wait _quietly _."

Kakashi saw Naruto's jaw drop, but Tsunade must have given him a look since he closed his mouth right away. Kakashi could hear multiple people muttering about the delay—Asuma for one, and Shizune for another—though he could bet they were grumbling for different reasons. Naruto turned around in a huff to stare at the clock at the back of the room, and Genma began a lazy stretch though the senbon was dancing a jig between his teeth.

Kakashi glanced at the other Jounin. None of them appeared any more restless than earlier, but then again, they were more accustomed to these kinds of gatherings than most other shinobi. The Jounin rank afforded opportunities to witness the politics and maneuvering that made up the running of the village, whether it was the Feudal Lords or the Elders that were jockeying to influence the Hokage. For Tsunade's sake, Kakashi was relieved that the Elders had decided not to oversee today's event.

Kakashi let his blue eye circle the room, and found that while everyone was tense, anticipating what the Hokage would reveal about the Hunt and watching their opponents warily, there was a distinct difference between the tension in some compared to others. One group was restless with the nervous excitement of getting to fight many strong opponents, reacting to the strength of the shinobi around them. Naruto was part of this group.

The other group though… these were the ninja who were tense with something dark; something like dread or apprehension. Fear wasn't exactly the right word, but it came close. Kakashi closed his teeth together with a muted click. _These _ were the ones who'd fought in the last Hunt.

These were the ones who'd been defeated by _him _: Uchiha Itachi.

Naruto and his classmates weren't nervous like that; they were too young to understand what had happened last time, even if they'd heard stories from older siblings or parents. The lack of firsthand Hunt experience was a blessing they weren't aware of, although they weren't immune to the overall tension in the room.

Yet these lines dividing the assembled ninja into two groups didn't correspond to rank, as Kakashi could see people everywhere in the room who felt the press of their comrades' chakra signatures, tension turning to something palpable as they were all forced to wait. Kakashi could feel it too, a pulse indicating the general stress of the assembled combatants. He turned back to the front of the room and wondered which group he fit into.

There was movement around the Daimyo, and Kakashi caught a flash of brown hair from the mysterious hidden person before the Daimyo leaned forward to converse and blocked the view. Two Lords behind Tsunade's left side were deep in conversation, eyes flicking from the Daimyo to the open double doors at the back of the room and then back to each other, their expressions more angry than tense. Kakashi recalled their names and made a note to watch them extra closely.

While looking out the far window, in a pose oozing boredom from all the waiting, Kakashi took a moment to look over the ANBU guards. He knew them of course; he knew them all. And of course they all knew him.

Tenzou (or Yamato, or whatever name he chose to go by now) was an interesting choice on Tsunade's part; he wasn't usually assigned token guard-duty. Yamato and his female compatriot Yuugao both turned and gave Kakashi the slightest of nods. He smirked under his mask, nodding back.

The ten minutes were almost up, and Kakashi was glad to have had the uninterrupted time to observe. It made his mission easier if he already had mental lists of the most suspicious characters, as well as the most nervous competitors. Kakashi sighed. Of course _Naruto _was always the one who got the most worked up.

"Oi! It's ten after three, so let's get this thing going!"

Good grief. Naruto shouted again, this time pointing his finger; the Daimyo began whispering urgently to Tsunade. Tsunade nodded and whispered back, but Kakashi could see from the Daimyo's face that he wasn't happy with her response. He clearly wanted to wait longer for Sasuke to arrive, but Tsunade held up her hand. Then she turned and looked right at Kakashi.

Her left eye flickered in an almost-wink, and then her brow rose in a silent question. Left eye; _Sharingan _. The silent question: "_Does he need more time?" _

Kakashi understood the seriousness of her gaze, and was glad that he could give her an answer–even if it wasn't the one she wanted. Very subtly, he shook his head.

_ "Sasuke's not coming." _

Tsunade paled and swallowed. But despite Naruto's annoying shouts of _"OI, OI, OI, OI!" _ the Hokage rallied and stood up, silencing everyone as she gazed over the room.

"Ibiki," she said, the man in question obeying instantly and charging across the room to shut the doors. Once he'd returned to her side, Tsunade began to outline the registration process.

"First we'll take down the names and ranks of all of you competing in the Scavenger Hunt—"

"Then I'll be the first one to give you my name!"

Kakashi glanced heavenward, requesting the patience to keep from murdering his student. He watched Naruto make his claim, pointing right to the leader of all of Fire Country.

"I'm the great Uzumaki Naruto! Current rank: Chuunin! Future rank: Hokage!"

Then, predictably, Naruto turned his energetic boasts to the rest of the gathered competitors. "You may as well leave now, because I won't lose to any of you!"

Kakashi shook his head, hearing the mass grumbling at such an obvious taunt. If Naruto was this overexcited, and he hadn't had _sex _ with Sasuke yet… Oh boy. He might have to have another talk with the blond once this was over. Hatake Kakashi might not be a teenager anymore, but there actually _were _ ways to control your hormones.

"Is he crazy?" Genma asked, one of the few shinobi that wasn't taking the bait and shouting his own challenges to everyone else.

"Nope. He's _Naruto_," Kakashi replied, moving closer to Genma so that Aoba could shout his name without deafening his ears.

Gai was yelling of course, striking a ridiculous pose, and Asuma had gotten out a knuckle-knife to stroke–for comfort?–while glaring at the rest of the room. Shizune's face was already red from scandalized rage at all the improper behavior, and Kurenai was laughing at her, not bothering to hide her mirth.

Kakashi kept his eye active, surveying the increasing chaos all over the room—the Feudal Lords were arguing amongst themselves as well, and Tsunade was caught in the middle. Ibiki's voice began to thunder over the din as it grew near impossible to discern one name from another, and Kakashi could see Iruka grabbing Naruto's arm, Naruto's expression angry as he shouted back into Iruka's face. Kakashi's lips tightened at the sight.

Then–the doors at the back of the room opened.

The ensuing hush was altogether different than the silence that Tsunade could command; it was eerie. The battle-cries might have dwindled, but the undercurrent of leaking chakra intensified and every head in the room turned towards the late arrival.

Kakashi's blue eye narrowed. Sasuke stood in the doorway–but this wasn't the moody and nervous Sasuke of last night. _This _ was a Sasuke that said he was powerful, and he knew it. Kakashi felt a tiny flare of panic at the uncanny family resemblance, but it was quickly suppressed since he'd been shocked by it once already.

This was definitely _Sasuke_, though Kakashi was sure that anyone who remembered Itachi would be startled by the similarity, to say the least.

What was Sasuke up to?

Kakashi watched him strut down the center of the room, the aisle still clear from when Ibiki had closed the doors. His student had seemed serious when he'd insisted he had no desire to enter in the Hunt, but his sudden appearance in this room, at this time, clearly meant otherwise. Kakashi met Tsunade's eye, but made no response to her second silent question. It annoyed him to have his information proved false, and he looked upon his student coldly.

Sasuke deliberately drew attention to himself, not only with his cocky smirk, but with his flashy Sharingan and the mesh shirt that made him look both tough and tasty at the same time. It was clever—whoever didn't respond to his fighting presence would no doubt succumb to his sex appeal, and the latter group probably wouldn't be strictly female.

Kakashi could feel how the incredible power coming off Sasuke beat against the swirling undercurrent that had already been growing in the room; no Genin would be able to stand the way the air thickened. Kakashi wasn't personally affected, or at least not physically. He watched Sasuke stir everyone up just as thoroughly as Naruto had done, but in a dramatically opposite method. Kakashi folded his arms across his chest; a prime example of the difference between those two.

Yet something was definitely wrong with this picture.

Sasuke didn't look in his direction, nor was he meeting any eyes except Tsunade's. She was the only ninja who seemed relived that he was there–the Feudal Lords scurried in a tizzy of activity, whispering and pointing and shuffling through their documents for information on the long-awaited Uchiha. Their excitement didn't match the reception from the rest of the room.

Kakashi couldn't help but look at the last member of Team Seven, fists clenched, and shaking with ill-suppressed fury. It pained him to see Naruto like that, almost as much as it had pained him to see Naruto so giddy earlier that day. Sasuke _had _ to be aware of his teammate's reaction, though he appeared pleased by the unhidden animosity being directed at him from all sides, flourishing in the spotlight.

Sasuke was competitive. But he'd never betrayed someone close to him the way he was doing it now. It was more like Itachi than Kakashi had ever wanted to see Sasuke become.

"Now I know why I never took on a Genin team," Genma leaned in to whisper, his senbon pointing at Sasuke. "I don't envy you either of them."

Grimly, Kakashi watched on as Naruto took a step forward, ready to unleash an angry outburst, but Sasuke cut him off, directing his statement to Tsunade.

"Sorry I'm late." Sasuke didn't seem sorry at all, shifting into his regular pose of superiority and eyeing the Feudal Lords as well as the Hokage. "But there's one more name you need to mark down."

Kakashi couldn't have missed Naruto's reaction—he jerked, stricken, like Sasuke had just slapped his face.

Ibiki, always so cool in situations of palpable tension—a sign of why he was an expert in his chosen specialty—poised his pencil and regarded Sasuke, asking his name. Everyone there knew who he was; the question was a formality.

Kakashi looked away from Naruto as Sasuke answered, the weight of the Uchiha name thrumming through the room. He looked away, not wanting to see any more pain, and his blue eye met the brown of Iruka's.

His stomach lurched—Iruka was _finally _ looking at him! But his heart sank at the fierceness behind those eyes, as if this unexpected turn of events was somehow all his fault. Iruka's posture said it all, rigid with indignation, anger, and the need to protect someone precious, namely his favorite student: _Naruto_.

For the second time in one afternoon, Kakashi was thoroughly jealous of his blond student—jealous that Naruto was also loved by the Academy teacher, but loved in a way that could be shown out in the open. This time, the jealousy turned swiftly to _ anger_.

Anger at the three of them; angry at himself; angry about the past; angry about the future. Angry about the mission, angry about the Hunt… He clenched his teeth. _'Goddamn it!' _ Then–

_'Oh hell.' _

All that anger had surfaced into his eye, readable by only one ninja, the one ninja who happened to be looking at him now. Iruka stiffened, misinterpreting the anger and scowling with more hostility than Kakashi had ever seen. Then Iruka turned to the front of the room, shutting him out.

Kakashi kept watch over the proceedings and used his anger and frustration to focus on the mission he'd been assigned, irritated that assassination _hadn't _been part of it. This was the last holiday he'd ever try to enjoy if it made him forget who he really was so easily—there was no room for such softness when he did what he did as effortlessly as blinking.

He wouldn't forget so easily again.

* * *

--

* * *

"Uchiha……Sasuke."

His name reverberated just the way he'd intended, but the glorious sound of it gave him no pleasure—he was all too aware of his teammate shaking with rage off to the left.

Ibiki calmly wrote it down, and Tsunade eyed him with calculation. For about five seconds the silence stretched taut, but then there were several muttered curses and movement behind him, and Sasuke could sense that at least eight ninja had left the room, exiting without explanation. Well. So far so good; the plan was working.

_'Just don't look at him,' _ he reminded himself. _'Don't look.' _

If he looked, he'd see Naruto's reaction to his unexpected arrival and it might make him falter—it had been nearly too much in the brief second their eyes had met at the door.

It was already bad enough to feel how much everyone left wanted to kill him—or kill his _brother_—and it wasn't comforting in the slightest to guess the majority wanted to kill them both.

_'Aniki… what did you do?' _

There was movement to the left, and then Sasuke heard Naruto's voice shout his name in utter fury: "_SASSSSSSSUKEEEEEE_!"

Sasuke held his breath, cringing on the inside at being forced to respond. He turned his imperious expression towards Naruto, his heart twisting at the stricken look on Naruto's face and the white knuckles on his rival's raised fist. Sasuke knew he should probably retort something, but his voice wouldn't function properly after seeing Naruto in such obvious distress—not while knowing he was the cause. All he could manage was to raise his eyebrow and smirk with condescension.

Naruto's expression shifted briefly into anguish, and then Iruka appeared, stepping up beside the blond and flexing his chakra signature, his scarred face hard-set with disapproval. It was such a protective gesture he may as well have stuck out his arm to hold Naruto back, even though Naruto just stood there, shaking.

Sasuke wasn't completely surprised to see him there at registration; he wouldn't underestimate him again. Iruka was two arm lengths away, but even so Sasuke could feel the nonverbal threat spilling from him in slow waves.

"Tch," he muttered, shifting his smirk into a bored scowl.

Iruka looked furious, but Sasuke was glad—_Iruka_ was someone he could provoke without nearly as much guilt, though he still didn't enjoy doing it. But Naruto…

Sasuke stopped the thought before he could be distracted from his true purpose. Naruto would understand it all later if there wasn't some other disaster. Right now, Sasuke couldn't worry about him. He had to trust that it could all be made right between them afterwards—this was for Naruto, after all.

"Now that everyone is here, we will—" Tsunade's commanding voice was cut off by someone abruptly pushing through the assembly of Feudal Lords behind her and taking center stage.

Instantly alert, Sasuke had just enough time to take in the details of a young woman's face before she came right at him. He saw an impertinent, sassy smirk and pretty features, rich brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Then the rest of her was a blur of black and gold as she spun towards him, armed by a four foot staff in each hand.

He wasn't the only one surprised; there were gasps from the Lords in front of him as well as from the ninja all around him, and nobody seemed to want to get in her way. But there was no mistake—she was coming for him and him alone. Sasuke struck a defensive taijutsu pose, recognizing some of the girl's movements from the acrobatic performance in the stadium.

But who the hell was she? A performer? And why was she attacking him?

He could hear her laughter as she approached, her long legs kicking out while she pressed him backwards with what he now recognized to be double-ended, though thankfully _unlit _ torches. If he kept backing up, he'd eventually be pushed into the doors, but he wasn't too keen on taking the offensive either—didn't she realize that he could kill her in less than three seconds?

Something told him that wasn't really an option; if she'd come from the front of the room, then she had some connection to the Feudal Lords, and while he did want their attention, he didn't want the kind of attention dispatching one of their minions would bring. But he was also never one to be pushed _backwards _. He'd just have to immobilize her, and he had an idea about how to do it. He set his feet, and instead of dodging he blocked her next kick with his forearm.

She paused for a split second, her leg high in the air against his raised arm. She met his red eyes and grinned, and then she was leaping again, striking at him with both torches and her other leg. Sasuke dodged the first torch, then the second, then the leg—though he grabbed her ankle and locked it under his arm, and used his longer reach to snatch one of the torches from her hand.

She laughed, tucking her body inward and somersaulting away from him, twisting her ankle free from his grip with the momentum. She rolled up to her feet and paused in a different kind of acrobatic stance. His eyes took in the black spandex bodysuit, her calves covered in golden yellow legwarmers, and her torso wrapped in a soft yellow sweater. She twirled her torch from one hand to the other, and then came at him again in fluid one-handed cartwheels.

Sasuke sensed the other ninja in the room giving them space. They all knew not to interfere in someone else's fight; it was too unpredictable, especially since this woman wasn't a ninja herself. So far he found it _very _frustrating. If she were a kunoichi he'd have no problem taking her down. But this wasn't shinobi combat, and so most of his repertoire would be taboo.

He blocked her torch with his torch, throwing in a few experimental attacks to test her. She was remarkably flexible, able to back-flip or somersault or otherwise maneuver in both offensive and defensive techniques. She kept him on his toes, never once landing a blow but forcing him to showcase his own speed and skill. Even still, she had openings he could have taken advantage of if she'd only been a real opponent. Sasuke sincerely wanted to hit her for being drawn into this ridiculous game, especially since it was clear that she was having great fun, like _she _ was the one testing _him _.

Sasuke scowled, beyond irritated by the musical quality of her laughter.

He watched her twirl and come at him again, switching from a back-flip to a cartwheel to some kind of pseudo-roundhouse kick. Sasuke let her foot brush by his cheek—then he twisted behind her with a blinding speed she couldn't hope to imitate. When she'd finished rotating enough to see him, he held both torches in his hands.

He smirked, twirling the two of them in an exact replica of her beginning moves, and she flashed him her white teeth in a happy grin as she redoubled her efforts to attack him. Sasuke saw his miscalculation almost immediately–he grimaced as she whirled, flipped, and sprinted at him with _twice _ the variety of moves.

Her abilities trebled with her hands free, which allowed her to balance or slide across the floor with a wider range of gymnastic "attacks," while Sasuke was now stuck with the torches encumbering him. Part of him appreciated the subtlety of what she'd done, attacking with the torches first so that he'd focus on disarming her as he would in a formal sparring match. And now, even though he was the one armed, he could hardly use either "weapon" against her. Unless she pushed him too far… and then he'd try his best not to break her ribs.

It was time to end this.

He gauged her movements and anticipated the timing of her flips; in the previous minutes he'd already calculated the limits of her body's reach and speed. He held her off, diverting her intended path with the spinning of the torches, dodging her limbs as she struck at him with misleading gracefulness.

Finally he saw his chance, stepping into her guard and lunging towards her as she pirouetted. He heard her giggle as she jumped out of his way, and he smiled on the inside—it was _exactly _ what he'd wanted her to do. Before she could put too much distance between them, he sprinted one step forward and leaped to intercept her, this time planting the end of a torch on the floor and kicking his feet high into the air, using it to boost the height of his somersaulting flip.

Sasuke arched through the air to land directly behind her, and he crossed the torches in front of her body to cage her within.

"That's _enough _," he said, tilting his neck so that her ponytail wasn't directly in his face, putting a bit more space between them.

"Oh?" she replied, laughing even though she was completely trapped.

The next thing he knew, she'd hopped and twisted herself around, wrapping not only her arms around his neck, but her legs around his waist. He looked into her grinning face, stunned for half a second that someone had _dared _ to touch him so intimately before she abruptly leaned in to kiss him full on the mouth.

Sasuke dropped the torches unceremoniously, placing his palms on her cheeks in the nick of time. To his horror the room erupted in female squeaks and male gasps, and he knew that it must look like they were really kissing. She squirmed in frustration against him, her breasts pressing flat into his chest as he held her lips a half-centimeter away from his own.

He'd played the game, but he'd be _damned _ if he let her kiss him.

Her nose was awkwardly mashed against his, and their balance shifted as her hands slid up into his hair, but he was too strong for her to succeed in forcing their mouths together. She stubbornly tried with all her will, and he curved his thumbs more firmly into her cheekbones in warning, so angry that his voice hissed only loud enough for her to hear it—

"I belong to someone else. Now _get off me, _before you regret it."

From the bizarre angle he could still see her eyes flash at the insult in his words, but he didn't care. He'd had enough of her, whoever the hell she was, even if the unexpected mock-battle and suggestiveness of their current position would probably help him further intimidate his opponents.

Regardless—there was someone here that he would _never _ betray by something like this.

She moved her legs first, letting him hold her weight with his shoulders as she slid down his body to touch her toes to the floor. He released her head as she stepped back from him, her hands lingering on the mesh shirt as she fixed him with a particularly evil smile. He reached to smack her away, but she avoided him, making it look like flirtation.

"Mmmm," she touched her mouth, and then ran her hands through her long hair. Her voice was quite loud and boastful, "I knew you'd _taste _ as good as you look." More murmurings fluttered across the crowd of ninja; the girl looked extremely proud of herself.

Sasuke's instant fury was terrible, oozing from his skin as he glared at her gloating face. _'That bitch!' _

He kept still, though he could have ripped all her hair out and then crammed it down her throat for that remark. Her eyes gleamed; she clearly enjoyed whatever she could read from his stony face.

She turned on her heel and sashayed back to the Feudal Lords, smirking all the while and disregarding the apoplectic face of the man Sasuke could only assume was her patron. In dismay, he recognized the man as the _Daimyo–_he cursed the bitch even more floridly under his breath. That man had to be her father. Sasuke's brain flashed with the image of a regal girl riding horseback behind the most gaudily decked Lord in the parade last night at the Ceremony.

Shit. Well… now he knew her _specialty _.

_"To…mo…ko!" _ The Daimyo said her name the way a parent would scold a five year old after being thoroughly embarrassed in front of guests. Tomoko took her time crossing the room, her ponytail swishing behind her, the tail of a cat full of mischief.

"Mmmm," she purred, eyeing the rest of the Lords and ignoring the rest of the shinobi. She stopped in front of her father, and placed her hands on her hips. "I've made my choice." Her father glowered at her, but she didn't cow under the weight of it, instead fixing a similar glare on the nine other Lords.

Sasuke could tell she was pulling some kind of rank, and it made him boil. He was not some kind of _pawn _ in whatever politics were going on behind the scenes of the festival. He raised his chin and walked forward, passing the fallen torches with disdain and resuming his original spot. His only consolation was the fact that she'd lose every bit of her money wagering on him.

One of the Shijimi assistants guided Tomoko deferentially by the elbow to her original seat, though the chairs around her had been removed to open her view. With a saucy wink at Sasuke, she sat down.

He felt his left palm itch with the yearning to blast her with Chidori for the spectacle, embarrassing him and implying a lie to everyone in the room, including the person he cared about most. He glared at her with the full force of his red Sharingan, and added _revenge _ to his goals for the next few days.

Tsunade cleared her throat, looking easily as displeased with Tomoko as the girl's father, probably ruing that the princess was outside her jurisdiction. The Daimyo did his best to ignore his daughter and present himself regally enough to make up for her display, and his staff followed suit—which only served to make Tomoko stand out even more, her demeanor conveying the attitude that the assembly of ninja was there for her amusement alone.

"We will _now _ resume the registration process." Tsunade's voice was firm, and the penetrating gaze she swept across the room ensured that there would be no further outbursts. The Hokage nodded to Ibiki, who stepped forward with his clipboard, walking towards the Jounin side of the room.

"Unless I've already marked it down," Ibiki glanced at Sasuke, "When I come to you, state your name and rank." Ibiki indicated a Jounin with long brown bangs hanging down on either side of his face, and Sasuke shifted into his favorite pose of bored superiority, folding his arms across his body.

He memorized the names of all the competitors, glancing at each with his Sharingan so that he'd have a retrievable image of them to refer to later. He especially noted those who met his eyes with something other than passing curiosity—the majority were either threatened or eager, for reasons he couldn't know, or didn't especially want to know.

Sasuke looked at everyone except Naruto–he avoided looking at him just yet. He could feel the intensity of those blue eyes trying to pierce through him without looking, a sure sign that Naruto had believed what Tomoko had wanted everyone to believe; Sasuke cursed the complication. He could guess how bad it had looked, and it was more than unfortunate for Naruto to be one of the ones fooled by what she'd said.

He clenched his teeth. Just one more thing he couldn't change. Naruto of all people should realize that he wasn't interested in women. And in truth, there'd only ever been one person who stirred his blood. It hurt to think that Naruto could have so little faith in him after the night they'd shared—had he not been clear enough?

Sasuke felt his blood stirring, not with _that _ kind of desire, but with the pure, honest desire for combat. It had been a while since he'd had a succession of good fights, and from the undercurrent of chakra in the room, he couldn't help but anticipate the upcoming battles.

There was nothing better to ease frustration than ramming a fist into an opponent's jaw.

Ibiki completed his circuit of the room, and signaled to Tsunade that he was finished. Sasuke realized that Naruto had been skipped, which he found more than odd. Did Naruto know Ibiki so well that he hadn't had to give his name?

The Hokage stood up straight and everyone in the room went still, eager to hear the long awaited details. Tsunade pointed to Ibiki as he crossed the room back to her.

"First, let me make one thing clear. Your name on that clipboard means you agree to all the rules of the Hunt. And the first rule is this," she raised her manicured finger, "From this moment until the Hunt starts tomorrow at midnight, there will be absolutely no fighting between combatants. Anyone caught fighting beforehand will be disqualified."

Tsunade folded her arms underneath her breasts. When there were no objections to the first rule, she continued. "I will be sectioning off an area of Konoha forest. Once you're inside, you will be hunting for these–"

She nodded again at Ibiki, who reached into his coat and withdrew a translucent, blue-green sphere, holding it up for everyone to see. Sasuke regarded it intently. Water balloons again; he puzzled over the color, but was happy to see that the weight of the sphere didn't seem irregular since Ibiki held it comfortably.

"Now these are not quite like the spheres used by Sandaime," Tsunade had a note of pride in her voice as she smirked. "You may have heard about the last Hunt, but I _do not _ recommend destroying them."

She might not have meant to, but Tsunade glanced at him. Sasuke ignored it but raised a brow, curious about what was inside the teal spheres; she wouldn't have mentioned it if it wasn't important. The Sharingan wasn't reacting strangely, so genjutsu or ninjutsu could be ruled out for causing the odd color.

"You'll have from the moment you enter the forest until dawn to find as many spheres as you can, and then the single Chuunin and Jounin with the most intact spheres will proceed to the second round. If there is a tie in either rank, we'll have a preliminary match to determine the final contestants."

"Excuse me, Tsunade-sama."

Sasuke heard the voice of Shikamaru, and glanced to the left.

"What do you mean, from the moment we enter the forest? Didn't you already say it started at midnight?"

Tsunade smiled, her eyes sparkling as she answered, "Ah, yes. Well, the exact location where the Hunt will take place will not be revealed here."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he heard several voices object to this statement with little enthusiasm.

Tsunade held up a hand, "Listen up. Let me explain. The location will not be revealed _here _," she paused for emphasis. "In order to find the Hunting grounds, you will first have to find _him_—Morino Ibiki."

"What?" Kotetsu asked, other voices backing him up, "You mean we can't get into the Hunt unless we find him first?"

Izumo continued, "And he's really going to tell us where to go?" The Jounin's voice sounded incredulous.

Sasuke agreed. Getting information out of the Head of the _Torture and Interrogation Department _ would not be easy. And he had no real idea of Ibiki's other skills—finding the man in the first place could offer a serious challenge.

"Yes," Tsunade nodded. Ibiki's lip curled upward as he stood beside her, still holding the sphere on display.

"At midnight, you are permitted to begin your search for Ibiki. Once you find him, he will give you what you need to get into the Hunting grounds, and then it's open season as you all try to find the spheres. Naturally this means not everyone will enter the forest at the same time."

Sasuke thought about this, the murmuring around him buzzing just outside his awareness until there was still another question.

"How many spheres will there be, Tsunade-sama?"

This came from Matsuri, the younger kunoichi with dreads standing near Hanabi. Sasuke noted the confidence in her steady voice, ringing clear above the mumbling in the room. She'd asked a decent question too, for a brand new Chuunin.

"Well well," Tsunade grined openly at them now, "What fun would it be if I told you everything?" She spread her hands to show they'd have to find the answer themselves.

"Then might I ask, esteemed Hokage-sama, how will we know when the time is officially up? Could you be more specific as to when exactly ' _dawn' _ is?" Ebisu asked, adjusting his sunglasses.

Sasuke had always found Ebisu's voice grating, although Naruto started laughing uncontrollably each and every time the two of them crossed paths. He'd often wondered what could be so funny about the prissy Jounin, but he'd never asked. He wondered if Naruto would share the joke he had with Ebisu if he _did _ ask.

He wondered if Naruto would even speak to him at all after this.

"The Hunt will end exactly when the sun rises, which is around 6:00 am. You'll all be formally notified by my summon Katsuyu." Tsunade put her hands on her hips, "She will explain where to go to turn in your spheres and determine who will be advancing to the next round. And," Tsunade grinned, "She will also make sure all battles stop. So don't plan to push on past the deadline."

There was more mumbling, people turning to their neighbors to discuss these parameters. Sasuke listened closely and watched the shinobi around him, his mind mulling over the details he'd heard so far. However, something she'd said in the beginning was nagging him.

"So what are your other rules, Hokage-sama?" Sasuke kept his voice strong, even as the rest of the room grew quiet. He couldn't tell if it was the question, or because it was _him _ asking the question. "You've only told us one."

She regarded him for a long moment, and then answered for everyone, "The second rule forbids killing any other combatant. A festival is no place for a funeral."

The room stayed quiet at this announcement. Death was a part of being a shinobi, they all knew. But it made sense to be reminded that this was supposed to be a game, a fun contest, a chance to use their skills and not grow restless from the lax environment of the village-wide celebration.

It also reminded him that for some, killing came all too easily. Sasuke didn't allow himself to touch the bead at his throat, though he had to wonder if blood had been spilt in the last Hunt. He didn't like to think of Itachi as a killer, though he knew he'd been one of the best. He also resisted the urge to glance at Kakashi; the Copy-Ninja had almost the same reputation.

"The third rule," Tsunade's face was serious, "Is there are no other rules."

Sasuke was glad to hear that. It gave him plenty of freedom to come up with the perfect strategy to combine skills with Naruto, assuming the idiot would agree. He already had several ideas of how they could accomplish the first two parts of the Hunt and make sure Naruto went on to the final round. _However _…

The hardest part would be next—getting his rival to sit still long enough to hear what he had come up with. Sasuke could still feel murderous intent from the spot where he knew Naruto was standing. He dreaded the moment he wouldn't be able to ignore his teammate anymore.

"Now, if there are no more questions, you are dismissed. Remember Rule #1, and Ibiki here," Tsunade rested a hand on the man's big shoulder, "Will be more than ready for you at midnight tomorrow night. Be sure to enjoy the festival while you still can, and I'll see you all again in thirty six hours!"

On her cue the room began to empty. For all the drama, Sasuke thought Tsunade seemed pleased with the turnout and the overall skill level of those competing. She turned around, now able to direct her attention fully on the gathered Feudal Lords, many of whom were talking over each other trying to ask her questions. Sasuke looked away when he sensed the eyes of her ANBU guards watching him. It was eerie.

Thankfully, Tomoko was busy ordering someone to do something and therefore wasn't paying him attention any longer. He'd deal with her _later_.

He closed his eyes for a moment, his ears picking up the muffled syllables of his name as people began to meander to the doors. Sasuke sighed, relieved this part was over even if the dreaded whispering had started again. But there was still a lot more to be done, and he felt his gut tighten in anticipation of the unavoidable confrontation with his rival. It'd probably be best to get out of there quickly, so he could wait for Naruto to come out. He needed to talk to him alone.

Sasuke turned to leave, and found a finger poking him right in the sternum. He didn't back up, even though Naruto's savage blue eyes tried to stare him down. Unmistakable gusts of energy from his teammate flared around them, pressing in on his chakra shields–Sasuke's first reaction was a thrill. Naruto always seemed to affect him that way.

His second reaction was to get angry—he didn't want to see such an intense look of rage, especially from Naruto, and especially when it was founded on misinformation.

"Oi!" Naruto's voice was surprisingly steady; intense. Sasuke could only glare at him, gracefully ignoring the finger digging into his flesh. Those blue eyes burned hotter: "I won't lose to you Sasuke!"

Sasuke told himself it was Naruto's own fault for confronting him publicly, sneering down as he taunted him back.

"You have _no choice_."

Naruto shoved him, and then stormed out.

Sasuke watched him go, adding in his head: _'Because I want you to win.'_

* * *

--

* * *

Iruka couldn't stand it anymore; he watched in anguish as Naruto stormed out of the room after being blatantly insulted by Sasuke in front of so many of their peers. Furious, he started to go reprimand his black-haired student, only to be held back by a strong hand on his bicep.

"Iruka, c'mon. Let's just go," Mozuku tugged on his arm. "It's not worth it."

"I'll see you later, Mozuku." Iruka glared, yanking his arm out of the other Chuunin's grip. He didn't give his colleague a chance to argue back, walking away and approaching Sasuke with a livid expression on his face.

"Some teammate _you _ are," Iruka spat at him, squaring his shoulders to face him dead on.

Sasuke scowled, shifting into one of his infinite poses of cocky overconfidence. "It's not my problem he can't handle it."

Iruka clenched a fist, "I didn't know the Uchiha clan could be so _treacherous _."

"Tch," Sasuke inclined his head with disdain, "That's because you only know how to fight weak brats in the Academy, Iruka- _sensei _. Anyone who challenges an Uchiha is a fool."

Iruka's face colored violently in response. "If that name is measured by you, Sasuke, then it really has become _worthless_—only a fool betrays his comrades!"

With that, Iruka turned and marched out, jogging the last few feet to the door to try and find Naruto.

If Sasuke's behavior could make _him _ this angry, Iruka couldn't imagine how Naruto felt right now. He wanted to scream on his behalf—to think that Sasuke would act that way after… _well _… after the previous night? That was _not _ the same Sasuke who'd sat across from him earlier at the tea-shop!

What on earth had happened between the two of them for Sasuke to have shown up so dramatically, and then _kissed _ the princess? It was shocking!

Iruka bit his lip, dashing down the empty hallway to the curving steps, taking them two at a time until he'd caught up with his blond student. Naruto walked like a zombie, his hands crammed into his pockets. He seemed very alone and small for someone fully grown and usually surrounded by friends.

"Naruto!" Iruka called, getting no reaction even when he'd caught up him and matched his pace to Naruto's. "Naruto, I can't believe he did that—any of it! But—"

"–Don't bother, Iruka-sensei." Naruto interrupted him, face scowling, blue eyes not meeting his. Iruka was concerned at the force of his words.

"I just don't want to see you so upset, Naruto, I mean, I know it's got to be a shock—"

"—Look, just leave it alone. I don't want to hear it, okay?" Naruto picked up the pace, trying to end the conversation.

"Naruto, listen to me!"

Iruka grabbed his elbow, and Naruto finally turned to scowl at him directly as they both stopped short. For a moment he just glared, shaking off Iruka's hand, though he didn't go anywhere.

"You can't protect me anymore, Iruka-sensei." Naruto's face was so serious, Iruka almost couldn't take the weight of it. Naruto turned away and looked out over the village, his eyes sweeping over the view beyond the metal railing.

"Not from him."

"Naruto…" Iruka's heart clenched. He never wanted to see people in pain, and this person had always been special to him. "Naruto, I—"

Naruto pushed past him then, moving grimly down the steps, "You shouldn't worry about me so much. Not everyone's like Kakashi-sensei." Naruto paused, not looking back, "He's probably up there waiting for you."

In a burst of speed Naruto darted off, and Iruka was left alone near the bottom of the steps. He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush, realizing that he'd actually forgotten all about Kakashi—he'd been so focused on Naruto that he'd run out of the conference room without even a glance at his lover.

He could kick himself for it now, even though they avoided interacting in public. He should have at least acknowledged him, even if he was pretty angry for that mean look he'd given him; what had _he _ done to deserve that? It also rankled that the Jounin hadn't clued him in on Sasuke's change of plans. Still… he hadn't meant to rush off without any contact at all.

More people were coming down the steps now, Kiba and Shino among others, and Iruka searched for the familiar mop of silver hair. He hadn't seen Mozuku yet either, and felt guilty about the tone of his last words to his friend. Konohamaru and Hanabi waved brightly, holding hands, and Iruka leaned against the railing at the bottommost step and kept watch.

Iwashi had left long ago, of course. As Iruka watched the shinobi dispersing from the meeting, he had to wonder what had happened last time; he knew that Itachi had been highly skilled, but the level of fear—and also the resentment he'd caught from some—was more than mysterious. Iruka wanted to ask, but wasn't sure it would be right to bring it up again. Maybe after this was all over he'd see if Iwashi was more open.

Iruka brightened when he saw Mozuku emerge, pleased he could make _something _ right at least, but his stomach twitched when Genma came around the corner with him. Genma wasn't someone he wanted to see right now, even though the senbon-sporting Jounin could hardly know who he was. Iruka had to force his teeth to unclench from the remembrance of how the man had hung all over Kakashi and stroked his face. Speaking of things that _rankled _.

He was disappointed that Kakashi hadn't come out yet, but he knew waiting around any longer wasn't a good idea. He nodded briefly at Mozuku, and then turned; putting his hands in his pockets and making his way back to his apartment.

Naruto was right; he shouldn't be worrying. He had to start thinking of his favorite student as well as all the other Chuunin as opponents, regardless of their friendships or bonds. In a little more than a day they'd be fighting tooth and nail over the Hokage's hidden spheres, competing for a chance to fight against Kakashi, who would surely win for the Jounin side.

Iruka bit his lip. He hoped Kakashi would come over as soon as he could. There were a lot of things he suddenly wanted to say, almost none of them the same ones that had been on his mind when he'd been climbing up the steps less than an hour ago. There were also many things he wanted to _ask_.

With any luck, Kakashi would come directly to his apartment. It was just a matter of waiting for things to calm down.

Too bad he wasn't good at waiting, period.

* * *

--

* * *

"Asuma, I said let's _go_." Kurenai pulled on the Jounin's arm, though he seemed to be more interested in sticking around to glower at Sasuke. With Gai's help, she pulled him away and out of the room before he caused an incident.

Kakashi returned the nod from Genma, who glanced at Sasuke and then crossed the room to speak with the Chuunin who'd spent the whole meeting standing beside Iruka. He knew the name now. _Mozuku_. Kakashi watched them leave together; remembering how Mozuku had grabbed Iruka's arm right before he'd gone to shout at Sasuke. He tried not to acknowledge his disappointment at watching Iruka run out the door after Naruto without looking back.

Kakashi rested by the windows, harmless, settling under almost everyone's radar as smaller groups of ninja made their way out the double doors. It allowed him to watch not only the Feudal Lords, but also his prodigy. He didn't exactly enjoy seeing Sasuke challenged by numerous people, but Sasuke had, in fact, brought it on himself. And—Kakashi frowned under his mask—he was determined to find out _why _.

There was a logical answer, of course, but he wanted to be sure; Sasuke was risking a great deal by his approach if he was as serious about Naruto as he'd acted all week. Kakashi couldn't quite believe that _that _ had been the act, and _this _ today was the truth. But remembering Itachi…

Kakashi watched the younger Uchiha intently. He'd try to make an opportunity to talk with Sasuke while not neglecting his mission.

"Got something smart to say, Hyuuga?"

Sasuke jerked his chin at Neji, who had come to stand before him without speaking while his teammates exited. Kakashi watched Neji meet Sasuke's Sharingan head on before he replied in his smooth, refined voice.

"On the contrary. I wanted to say I'm glad you came after all; it's always a pleasure to fight against you, _Uchiha _ Sasuke. It's very interesting to me the things you will do, and the things you _won't_."

The two eyed each other for a long moment, and then, very calmly, Neji turned and walked unhurried out of the room. Sasuke watched him all the way, scowling, like he was working a mental puzzle that might include the image of Neji's back.

Kakashi glanced back at the Feudal Lords, gauging how long he should stick around. Tsunade's assistants were attempting to rearrange the tables so that everyone could face each other during the discussion, but weren't having much luck getting anyone to cooperate with the efforts. Princess Tomoko, for one, seemed to enjoy being in the way. Kakashi didn't particularly look forward to finding out her part in all this. Tsunade had her hands full in regaining some sense of order.

Kakashi was academically curious about how she'd handle the gambling. It was clear that the next half hour at minimum would be a meeting between her and the Lords as she outlined the details pertaining to their fiscal participation in the Hunt. It was a topic that he could easily catch up on later; right now he should find out what he could about this other mystery before Sasuke disappeared.

And in any case, although perhaps only _technically_, gathering information on Sasuke had been included in the mission Tsunade had assigned him in the first place.

Sensing that they would soon be the last two ninja in the room, Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and shifted his gaze over to Sasuke. Sasuke was looking right back at him, with a stance and expression that said he was both expectant and worried that Kakashi would be the next and final shinobi to issue a challenge.

Kakashi waited a moment before walking past him, letting the last three ninja leave the room ahead of him, pausing just long enough to make a comment he was sure would get the intended reaction.

"You'll get a headache if you keep using your Sharingan like that."

He kept his pace deliberately slow as he exited the room, turning left into the empty hallway that stretched deeper into the Hokage compound. He stopped six feet from the door, and leaned back into the wall, propping the heel of his foot along the baseboard.

Sasuke soon came out of the room and stopped not too far away. They listened to the doors close with a soft thud. Sasuke didn't say anything, but Kakashi didn't expect him to offer an explanation without some prompting. Instead, he stood there with a hand on his hip, always so defiant even though he'd accepted the invitation to have a private conversation. Kakashi knew he'd have to tread carefully.

"Too bad. Itachi's eyes are _prettier_, I think." It was a gamble, but it might be worth it to take it from this direction. Sasuke responded by looking him full in the face. Good.

"Did you know he used to talk about you all the time, Kakashi-sensei? Yet _you _don't ever talk about _him _." Sasuke raised an eyebrow, a challenge to give something away before getting any answers. Kakashi had forgotten how intense opposing two red eyes could be.

"Hmmm," Kakashi unclenched his fingers in his pockets. "Well I could remind you that his cloak is still in my apartment, though I don't imagine it to be that helpful." Sasuke's lips tightened, but he didn't comment further.

It was a long moment before Kakashi continued, "You've really done a good job, and I compliment you on your fashion statement, although… I'm sure _Naruto _, for example, can't quite appreciate the full effect since he never knew your brother."

A widening of the eyes, a slight increase of heart rate, a barely visible flaring of nostrils—all these tiny signs told Kakashi that Sasuke knew exactly what Naruto's reactions to him had been, and he wasn't as happy about it as he'd tried to look.

Sasuke was also probably relieved that Naruto and Itachi had never gotten to know each other. Kakashi hated to remember it, but Itachi had been truly spectacular—and at _everything _ he did. He counted it lucky that Iruka hadn't ever met him, even though the idea and the sentiment were both absurd.

Sasuke pulled himself together, adjusting his stance and raising his chin, "No one, not even you I hope, would underestimate an Uchiha."

Kakashi's brain whirred; Sasuke was good at this. It was almost thrilling to have this verbal duel, there were few in Konoha up to it. But which way to respond? Sasuke was warning him about the fighting abilities of his clan, but he was also warning about the same clan's passion and tenacity. It was meant to make him consider which he thought was more important.

"I admit I'm rather surprised to find an Uchiha bothering with a festival competition. Rumor had it there would be none competing this time, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke kept his face strong. "Naturally a shinobi uses everything at his disposal to succeed." Yes, shinobi were rarely, if ever, completely truthful. Still…

"A true shinobi doesn't turn his back on his comrades, no matter how important the success of the mission is," Kakashi countered.

"Then you won't mind if I borrow Pakkun, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi paused, and Sasuke smirked. He was obviously proud of himself for throwing a curve ball–asking to borrow a summon was incredibly _rude _. Kakashi half wanted to laugh in appreciation, but there was nothing about the current situation that could be considered funny.

"Well you know," Kakashi scratched the back of his neck; what a clever student he had indeed. Let's spring the trap. "Pakkun is quite bullheaded. He'll only take direction from those whose intentions have honor; something about how they smell…" He smirked under his mask. Sasuke's next move would cinch it; he'd show where his loyalties truly were, no matter what.

"Hn," Sasuke turned smoothly on his heel to walk away, keeping eye-contact over his shoulder. "That's not what Itachi told me. Dogs obey no matter the nature of their master."

Sasuke walked smartly past the closed double-doors and around the curving hallway towards the exit. After a moment, Kakashi could no longer sense his chakra signature; he'd vanished out into the village.

Kakashi sighed, quickly reviewing their dialogue. Sasuke had played the game well–better than he'd ever played before. He'd asked for a favor, pointing out that he was still a comrade while also implying that Kakashi would be turning his back on him by refusing. He'd in turn countered by calling the bluff, forcing Sasuke either to admit his intentions or renege on the request, which would also show his intentions.

And then Sasuke had played a wild card. He'd left without Pakkun, but he'd reminded Kakashi that things were almost never what they seemed, as if to throw his favorite teaching back in his face—to search underneath the underneath.

An honorable assassin. It wasn't exactly how he saw himself.

He considered all the possible things Sasuke could accomplish by borrowing his best tracking dog. Then he nicked his thumb on the razor edge filed on the plate of his right glove, pressed his palm to the cold floor, and recited the incantation, _"Kuchiyose-no-jutsu!" _

The small puff of smoke cleared to reveal the squished face of his smallest canine summon. Kakashi stood, and Pakkun looked up at him with his usual lack of enthusiasm.

"Yo. I thought we were on vacation, Kakashi."

Kakashi didn't waste any time with greetings. "I want you to go after Uchiha Sasuke."

"Hmm," Pakkun rubbed his eye with his paw, "You say that like you're not coming with me; he must not be running too far. So why am I going after him?"

Kakashi paused, considering his instructions carefully. Pakkun's eyes narrowed.

"I don't like the way you're hesitating, Kakashi. Tell me what's going on."

"Sasuke… Hmmm, well he asked to borrow you, but then he took off rather than explain why. I'm sending you anyways to find out why he asked, and if possible, to find out what he's up to."

"That damn _kid_."

Pakkun didn't hide his irritation, both at the mention of Sasuke's name and the news that Sasuke had had the audacity to try and _borrow _ him. It always seemed to be Sasuke at the heart of the most dangerous situations where he was summoned, and the pug had often complained to Kakashi about it.

"What's he done now?"

"He's playing a deep game here, and I'm sure it has something to do with Naruto, or Itachi… or _both_. Saying he won't compete in the Hunt, and then showing up to register is only part of it, Pakkun." Kakashi crossed his arms as his brain sped through scenarios.

"So I'm supposed to catch up to him, and then do whatever he tells me to? That doesn't seem like a good plan at all, Kakashi." Pakkun stood up from his spot on the floor, pacing back and forth on his short little legs, deep in thought.

Kakashi shrugged. "He asked for you, knowing you answer to me. I don't think he'll deliberately put you in a situation where you'll find out anything he doesn't want you to find out. Or want _me _ to find out. But—you don't have to do _everything _ he says."

Pakkun stopped his pacing to look up at him intently, "How long do you want me to follow him after I've helped him with his task?"

Kakashi smirked. What a good doggie he had.

"Find out everything you can, beyond what he lets you see or hear, and then report. I have to warn you though, there might be more than a few people after him despite Tsunade's no-combat rule; he didn't make any friends today."

"Hmmm," Pakkun considered this. Then he gave an eerie, rasping dog-chuckle, "I'll find out what the brat's up to, Kakashi. It'll be a pleasure."

With that, Pakkun sniffed the floor, and then sped down the hallway towards the exit, his tiny claws chiming against the concrete. Kakashi watched him go, and then turned to face the wall he'd been leaning against. He made a long succession of hand seals, and then stepped forward, using an earth element jutsu to sink through it and into the next room, silent and invisible.

_Oh boy_. If the Feudal Lords only knew what Konoha shinobi were truly capable of, they would certainly not be so eager to cross the borders of the village.

* * *

--

* * *

Naruto had only thought to get away from the Hokage tower _fast _, so he was surprised to find himself in the front yard of the Ninja Academy when he'd finally slowed his pace enough to check where he was.

There were no kids here today; school was closed for the festival. But for him the area was swarming with memories, of children playing and laughing together and trying to be so grown up, all while he'd sat alone on the pathetic single swing.

He was half tempted to straddle it like he used to; it had been about that long since he'd felt this miserable. He grabbed hold of the rope support instead and squeezed, wanting to feel pain somewhere other than where he was hurting the most. The sting of the fraying fibers wasn't pleasant, but it was far from satisfying—this place was much too full of remembered heartache to allow him relief. As a child he'd cried. But he refused to give in like that now.

Teeth clenched, Naruto took off again, this time heading to where he knew he could try and release what was currently splitting him apart. He didn't bother with speed that was visible. Pushing his body to the limit was always how he coped with the things that _weren't _ physical.

Seeing the looming faces of the previous Hokage grow larger and larger as he covered the distance, he couldn't help but be fully aware of the irony of his destination. It was his life's bitter motif—chasing after the Hokage name while being upstaged by his rival at nearly every step. The difference, before, was that Sasuke hadn't ever done it on purpose. Hadn't hurt him on purpose.

Or at least he'd never thought of it that way before.

Naruto tore over the landscape and up the winding path to the top of the monument, solid rock dense with trees behind the high cliff's edge. Panting from the effort of such an extended sprint, he let out a barbaric roar and smashed his fist into the first boulder he came to, packing the momentum behind his body into the force of the blow.

The rock cracked loudly from the impact, but Naruto didn't feel much better from only breaking it in two, so he followed the blow with another from his left hand. The boulder exploded from the force of his chakra, and Naruto coughed on the dust, scowling fiercely and wiping particles from his eyes with scraped, bloody knuckles.

On the backs of his eyelids he could see separate moments of the day; Sasuke's presence when he'd entered the room, Sasuke's smirk as he'd said his name, Sasuke's eyes as he'd looked down on him with that sneer he used to start their sparring matches.

And Sasuke's hands—caressing the face of someone who wasn't him.

Naruto's throat tightened around a lump. He wished he'd never known what it felt like to be kissed while those hands cupped his jaw. He wasn't ever supposed to _see _ it, only _know _ it—the same way he knew when he was hungry or needed air.

He'd forgotten about Sasuke's clan. He'd forgotten that Sasuke was the only one left to revive it, and if things could go the way Naruto truly wanted then the Uchiha clan would eventually die out. Who better but a princess of Fire Country to help Sasuke create his legacy?

Naruto couldn't bear to think about it. He couldn't change who he was.

Before any other images could surface, torturing him with the sweetness of what had happened in his moonlit bedroom since it would never happen again, Naruto's blue eyes snapped open. But all he could see was _red_—his vision glazed over with righteous fury at being fooled by his rival twice over.

It was humiliating, and the need to destroy something—_anything_—surged inside him. He looked down on the broken remains of the boulder in irritation.

Releasing a howl that tore at his throat, Naruto conjured a clone, and single-mindedly razed the nearby trees to the ground with his huge, burning blue Rasengan, exploding trunks and branches and replacing the clones that died in the crossfire of debris with no remorse.

Again and again, arm protesting the vibrations from the spinning impact of his jutsu, he charged against everything in his path, cutting a swath of destruction until he was dizzy, head pounding from his fury and the Kyuubi tickling at the back of his senses. The Demon was awake and wanted to be let out; Naruto hadn't let him play in a _very _long time.

Shutting the fox's wordless urgings away, Naruto collapsed breathless onto his knees, sinking his fingers into what counted for grass on the high ridge of mountain. He shut his eyes and heaved; twice more and everything he'd eaten that day came back up, splattering the ground in front of him. He coughed, spitting the last of the acidic residue from his mouth and closed his eyes, waiting to make sure there was nothing left for his body to reject.

After a moment, he gave a raspy chuckle and shifted himself more upright, wiping his mouth with the back of his dirty hand, the red haze gone from his vision. He settled a palm on his navel, finally feeling some relief from the tempest that had been going on inside him from the moment he'd understood exactly how much Sasuke had lied.

The Kyuubi was now coiled tightly inside his cage, seething in fury that he hadn't been let out. But it was a kind of pain and discomfort that Naruto could manage. Somehow the fox trying to get out or the sight of his own vomit had cleared his head, and he felt rather drunk from the sudden sharpness of his thoughts.

Naruto looked around at the chaos he'd caused, relief that no one had been close enough to be endangered a faint whisper in the back of his mind. He got slowly to his feet and straightened his hitai-ate, taking inventory of his body to make sure he hadn't inflicted any critical wounds, rubbing his right hand and arm where his muscles were throbbing and sore.

He took a deep breath, not yet calm enough to be startled by the extreme focus and clarity of his mind. It was so obvious what he should do–he chuckled for being so blind in the first place.

He and Sasuke were rivals, had always been rivals. While the opportunity to become something more had surfaced that week, real and solid, Sasuke had thrown it away the moment he'd kissed that girl. There wasn't anything Naruto could do to change that; he wouldn't settle for less than total loyalty from the person who belonged to him that way. It was just how he was.

But Sasuke had also challenged him by registering in the Hunt. _That _ was something he could address, and he could address it immediately. If Sasuke really thought he was better, then Naruto would give him the chance to try and prove it. And he'd even do it on Sasuke's turf; he always did enjoy a handicap. His face split in an eager smile, showing a few too many teeth to be considered friendly.

Brows creased and blue eyes fierce, Naruto left the top of the Hokage monument, making a line over Konoha to the Uchiha district where he'd settle things with his rival once and for all.

* * *

--

* * *

Kakashi followed at a leisurely pace, blending effortlessly with the surroundings as the Feudal Lords made their procession away from the Hokage tower to where they'd tethered their mounts.

The meeting with Tsunade had been interesting, mostly because someone had arrived halfway through that Kakashi hadn't expected to see. A far cry from Sasuke's dramatic entry, Jiraiya had simply opened the door and walked into the discussion on his clicking geta, moving to the opposite side of the seated men and women and leaning against the wide window as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Tsunade hadn't seemed at all surprised to see him, and actually nobody else did either—they were probably used to Jiraiya doing things on his own schedule. Kakashi thought they were a lot alike that way. But Tsunade hadn't seemed _pleased_, either… though that was usually how it was with them.

Jiraiya restrained himself by only winking at her, folding his arms and settling back so she could continue with the betting rules. He did nothing throughout the meeting to disturb anyone, although at one point he _did _ look Kakashi right in the eye, smirking his knowing smirk.

Kakashi knew he was invisible, though he was only trying to be invisible to the gamblers. It would take much too much energy–not to mention it would be pointless to be invisible to Tsunade, her ANBU guards, and now Jiraiya as well. Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, tilting his head in a nod at the older man. Jiraiya chuckled, probably all too aware of what he was doing there.

Kakashi wasn't worried about the Sannin, even if he did find it ironic that he and Naruto had been discussing Jiraiya's _Oeuvre _ just that afternoon. The question he did have on his mind was why Jiraiya had waited until now to arrive—everyone else who was betting on the Hunt had been there for all of registration, looking all the competitors over like a buyer at a horse auction. It was an unfortunate parallel, but it fit.

Since Jiraiya was now part of the gambling, Kakashi'd just have to see what he was up to, if anything at all.

The Feudal Lords were now returning en masse to the largest Inn in the village, though meager compared to their usual housing. Kakashi wouldn't be surprised if only the important staff members stayed in the Inn with the Lords, with the rest of their entourage sharing the large, sectioned tents erected around the temporary corrals outside the center of town.

They weren't riding pell-mell down the streets, instead keeping a steady and proper pace, the Daimyo surveying the village's festival decorations with a pleased expression although Kakashi knew he was tense. It hadn't been said out loud, but he was sure the Daimyo had ordered a special meeting of his own, out of earshot of the Hokage and away from any ninja that they could see. For this, attendance would be mandatory; Kakashi knew it was true as not one horse deviated from the course.

It made things so much easier for him. With all the chaos of registration, Kakashi had decided to make one small detour and was glad once again that his apartment was near the center of town, so convenient for any number of needs or whims either before or after missions.

Thinking of Iruka with a heavy heart, Kakashi flipped over his roof into his kitchen, not concerned in the least about being separated from the Feudal Lords for a short while. He eyed the stained Yukata on his kitchen table and hastily scooped it up. He dashed into his bedroom and tucked it into the empty bottom drawer of his dresser for two reasons; not only would it would be safe there, but he also felt it probably wouldn't be good for his lover to find it, considering how things seemed between the boys at this point. No need to add fuel to _that _ particular fire.

Kakashi came back out into the living room for his intended task, carefully placing something on the coffee table, just in case. Then he went out the way he came, and caught up to the sauntering caravan of horses as they wound their way through the celebrating village.

As he tailed his quarry, Kakashi wondered what Iruka might be doing right then. He wondered if Pakkun had caught up with Sasuke yet, and what he might find out. And then he tried to focus on his mission. It was nice to have something to do other than ponder things like past rivalries and the thin threads that bound people together, even if the distraction was a mission ranked awfully low for someone of his skills.

From his bird's eye view, Kakashi could see Shijimi Tomoko riding in elegance, her ponytail catching in the wind. Every so often she turned her head to speak to the man riding beside her, though he kept himself rigid and never looked away from the road in front of him.

He was most likely her bodyguard, though if he was also her _babysitter _ he'd done a terrible job of it. It would be interesting to find out more about her interest in Sasuke; Kakashi could tell that Sasuke had held her off, and Neji had also said as much… but maybe he'd actually find something interesting when he tailed the girl.

He hoped he would, so that the mission wouldn't be quite so boring. But he hoped more that he _wouldn't _, since he didn't want anything else to disrupt his students, or his team.

Oddly, Kakashi found himself missing Sakura. She had a way of balancing all of them that he'd never be able to copy.

He sighed, descending to street level as the horses drew nearer to the Inn. As he ducked into a tight alleyway, he hoped Sakura was having more fun in Suna than the rest of them were having at present.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke's eyebrows felt permanently creased by the intensity of his scowl as he crossed the village heading to Naruto's apartment for the second time that afternoon. Although this time, his urgency was multiplied to a point that he could hardly stand it.

Shit, shit, _shit_.

_All _ of it had been harder than he'd imagined: Pretending to be as strong as Itachi, pretending to challenge Naruto, pretending it didn't twist his heart that Naruto thought he'd accepted the Princess' kiss.

In truth, he'd never _ever _ wanted to kiss anyone but Naruto, but in that situation—besides snapping the girl's neck—what else could he have done to stop her?

Kakashi was right about the Sharingan; his head was aching in a way that preceded a raging migraine, but until he found Naruto it would stay in place—disengaging it would be a painful distraction he didn't need. He couldn't imagine how Itachi had kept it constantly active, and Sasuke felt bitter that he'd missed his chance to ask. The Sharingan was extremely useful, made for their bloodline, but he'd forgotten how quickly it drained his energy, and how heavy his body felt after such a long period even as it made him quicker.

'_You better be at your apartment, moron_,' he thought, the sentiment intense; he was anxious to explain everything and set things right. There was no point to any of this if he lost Naruto, and the pain of his anxiety was nearly _blinding_. Sasuke touched his right temple, for no other reason than to pretend it might bring relief.

He was almost at his destination when he had the feeling that he was being followed. He slowed his pace, and changed his course so that the pursuer wouldn't guess where he was really trying to go. Once in an appropriate spot, he strategically ducked behind a chimney, drawing a kunai and scanning with his chakra to get an idea of who was after him.

"Tch," he muttered when he recognized Pakkun.

Well, well, well. Kakashi had decided to gamble after all. Sasuke tucked away the kunai and folded his arms, moving from behind the chimney and leaning against it to wait. Soon enough, Pakkun came across the ridgepole of the roof on his tiny feet and stopped not too far away, sitting and scratching behind his ear with a hind foot.

Sasuke glared down at him and said nothing. Pakkun finished scratching, then watched him and said nothing back. After a few moments, Pakkun's pink tongue began to waggle as he panted in the warm sun, and Sasuke's frayed nerves just couldn't engage in another pointless battle of wills. He didn't even _like _ Pugs.

"What are you doing here, Pakkun?"

"That's my question, kid. What am I doing here?" Pakkun stopped panting, but his tiny eyes regarded him with an intelligence that Sasuke had always found disconcerting from a four-legged animal.

"Kakashi sent you after me, and now you've found me. So now what?" Sasuke retorted. There had to be a trap in this. Kakashi wasn't a fool.

"Oh alright," Pakkun sighed, like he was talking to a five year old. "Let me explain it again. You asked for me, and then Kakashi-dono sent me to you. As much as I _enjoy _ our conversations," the dog paused with extreme sarcasm, "I'm going to assume there's a reason I'm on this roof, a reason which only you, Sasuke-kun, can enlighten me. That is, unless you're out here to get a tan, in which case I'm going to take a nap."

Sasuke clenched a fist under his elbow, glaring at the dog as he stood up and made circles on the slanting tiles as if he were going to flop down and go to sleep whether Sasuke answered him or not. Standing here was wasting time, however, and as much as he loathed having to borrow a summon—more because it was _Pakkun _ than because it was impolite, or because he didn't have his own—he sincerely wanted to find Naruto as soon as possible.

Sasuke scowled, equally sarcastic. "Let's just say I'm surprised at Kakashi-sensei's _generosity_."

"Hmmmm," Pakkun stopped his circling and eyed him with ill-concealed dislike. "I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you kid; this is the only time you'll have me at your bidding. So where are we going?"

Sasuke gave a wry chuckle, "You mean you're not going to smell me first? To check my _intentions_?"

Pakkun rolled his eyes, "The way you were running I'd guess that instead of wasting time here, there was someplace or someone that you were serious about finding. And if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not smell the things that I can see."

Sasuke was proud that he didn't bristle at the insult, cutting to the chase before he did excruciating harm to the charming canine. "Take me to Uzumaki Naruto, _pronto_."

Pakkun's eyes narrowed, but he didn't comment other than to ask, "Where was he last, that you know?"

"At the Hokage tower. He left before I did, and his apartment isn't far from here."

Pakkun didn't hesitate; he turned around to run back the way he'd come. "Oi, this way!"

"Tch," Sasuke muttered, catching up to the small dog on the next roof. "Why are we going backwards? Naruto's apartment is over there!" Sasuke pointed, and Pakkun shook his head.

"That's the wrong way kid; I didn't smell his scent anywhere near yours when I was tracking you."

Sasuke thought about this a moment, then asked, "Why would you check for his scent if you were tracking me?"

"Jeez," Pakkun creased his brows, which didn't help him look any more attractive, "I don't have to check for his scent on purpose. If it's there, I notice it; didn't you know it was _highly distinctive _?"

Sasuke glared at him, and Pakkun smirked. "Naruto's freshest trail was back near the Hokage tower. We'll track him from there, kid."

Sasuke tightened his lips as they retraced his steps. He was reluctant to admit it, but this was exactly why he'd requested the dog in the first place. Without the invaluable sense of smell, he knew he could be running all over the village with only gut instincts to help him find Naruto. Now, even though Pakkun was hardly the kind of tour guide anyone would choose on purpose without an emergency, Sasuke knew Pakkun's nose was the best, and he'd get to Naruto faster than any other method.

Pakkun glanced at him then, and Sasuke had to wonder how far his sense of smell really went—was it insightful like the Sharingan or Byakugan? Could the pug smell intangible things from him like worry?

Sasuke didn't think he could mask how worried he really was, beyond controlling his expressions and tone of voice. He was worried both about not being able to find Naruto, and also finding him—if he knew his rival at all, things would probably get worse before they got better.

Pakkun slowed down and shuffled along with his nose near the ground when they reached the wide, bricked area at the base of the Hokage tower. Sasuke watched the dog intently, trying not to be suspicious of the amount of time it took him to pick up the correct trail. Pakkun went up the steps part way, sniffing by the railing, and then bounded back down and around the corner towards the next block.

"This way!" he called, and Sasuke sprinted after him, trying to imagine what Naruto had been thinking as he'd left the registration room.

He and Pakkun ran away from the tower, turning down a side street and eventually crossing from pavement to grass. Pakkun slowed and kept his nose in the ground, moving here and there, but Sasuke halted in the center of the open yard of the Academy.

He swallowed, surprised to be at the place where it had all begun, where they'd first met and become classmates, perpetually annoyed at each other and always getting into fights. He looked around the empty yard, remembering all the other kids playing and laughing and inventing games together, though he'd never watched them himself; he'd only heard the squeals and noises of recess in the background.

Instead of playing with the others, Sasuke had always gone around the side, training alone while everyone else was busy. He spent his time throwing shuriken, practicing taijutsu, and hiding the fact that he could do Goukakyuu-no-Jutsu while _yearning _ for someone to show it to–other than his brother or father who could do it so much better.

"_Oi_." Pakkun was standing over by the swing, and Sasuke didn't notice that his voice wasn't quite so sarcastic this time. "He went this way," Pakkun gestured with his head, and then took off at a pace that wouldn't outstrip Sasuke while he was daydreaming.

Sasuke shook his head and darted in the direction Pakkun went. They covered quite a bit of ground this time; with Pakkun having to stop several times to be sure they were on the right trail.

"What's the matter?" Sasuke asked, trying to hide his impatience when they'd adjusted their course for the third time.

"Hmmm," Pakkun was sniffing, "He was going fast. _Real _fast." Sasuke tightened his lips. If faster speeds were harder to trace, Naruto must have been in a big hurry. But why? And to where?

"Got it," Pakkun muttered and was gone. Sasuke kept his attention on following the dog, leaping overtop the village in pursuit of his blond teammate. At one point he looked up, and his steps nearly faltered under the stern, piercing gazes of the previous and current Hokage.

"Pakkun!" Sasuke was glad it hadn't come out in a shriek—his heart thudded loudly in his chest. "I know where he went!"

He pointed at the monument, situated in a direct line from the path they'd been following, and knew without a doubt that that's where he'd find Naruto. It made so much sense; that's where Naruto always went when he was happy.

Or upset.

Sasuke didn't wait for a response, his feet were suddenly flying across skyline and air towards the stone symbol of Naruto's biggest dream and goal. He could kick himself for not thinking of it earlier—was that where Naruto had been earlier today while he was looking all over for him?

Vaguely he knew Pakkun was running along with him, and he glanced to the side to see him checking for Naruto's trail every so often. When their eyes met, the dog gave a nod, and they both lengthened their strides.

The incline was unfriendly and Sasuke's thighs and calves protested the pace, but he wasn't about to slow down now. Not when he was almost at the top and could finally see his—

Sasuke skidded to a stop, his eyes wide at the sight that greeted them as they crested the last stretch up the hill. One sweeping glance told him that Naruto wasn't there anymore, but he most certainly _had _ been. Sasuke's chest heaved from trying to catch his breath but he barely noticed it, such was the shock of the altered landscape stretching before him.

Pakkun sniffed around the debris, but Sasuke didn't need to look at the dog to know they'd come to the right place. _Who but Naruto possessed this much power? _

Naruto had not only knocked over the trees, he'd smashed them to bits. Rocks, too–what must have once been giant boulders were now only gravelly-pieces scattered amongst the branches and bark and the flesh-colored, splintered remains of the forest.

There were pits in the earth where some of Naruto's Rasengan had burst through their intended targets. Frankly, Sasuke was amazed that there wasn't some kind of inquiry already going on—how had nobody heard this? The air was still humming with the echoes of splitting wood, granite explosions, and what he imagined to be the sound of his teammate's furious bellows as he unleashed his power.

Sasuke stood still, thrilled by the intensity of what his teammate could do even as it drove something sharp through his core to hold the responsibility for it. Naruto had been mad at him before, but it had never been like _this_; Sasuke wasn't coward enough to try and pretend that Naruto could be angry for some other reason, or hurt by some other person.

It was always the one you loved most who could hurt you the best.

In the face of such destruction, Sasuke wasn't comforted from the evidence. It meant Naruto must care for him a great deal to have had such a violent reaction to a misunderstanding, even one of such gigantic proportions and ill-timing, but the knowledge wasn't sweet against this kind of background.

"Oi."

Sasuke turned towards the noise and for a weird second didn't recognize the small brown dog before snapping out of his daze. He took a few steps closer, trying to fight against the mounting urgency he could feel thrumming in every cell of his body to find Naruto and reverse this mess.

"Where did—" The question died as Sasuke's breath caught in his throat.

Pakkun was looking at him, for once not spouting any snide comments, and Sasuke would have been grateful if he'd been able to process anything past what the Pug was standing beside. His red eyes took in the mess in one glance, but he couldn't stop looking at it right away in the twisted fascination that occurs when seeing something horrible.

Naruto had _puked_. Sasuke waited for something to happen, either in his heart, or his gut, but there was nothing. He only felt cold, the coldness that went with the fear that perhaps this was something too extreme to be fixed.

Sasuke liked to think that he could control his expressions expertly, but he knew that his face was slipping from its mask of calm into a scowl of anger. He accepted it, all of it; anger was something he knew well, and it helped diminish the cold. What he wouldn't accept, in any form, was defeat—and the fact that a lie posing as truth could push Naruto so far made Sasuke extremely, and thoroughly angry.

And it made him that much more determined to get back to they way things had been between him and Naruto only that morning. The memory of waking up in Naruto's arms, and being greeted with such carefree enthusiasm probably hurt the worst, slicing through him bitterly.

He _wouldn't _ give that up; it was how they were supposed to be!

"Which way did he go, Pakkun?" Sasuke's voice was the steadiest he'd heard it since they'd been to the Academy and Pakkun responded immediately.

"Follow me," The dog said, and sprinted through the trees.

Sasuke's scowl loosened as they ran through the trees and descended back down the high cliff following Naruto's scent. He'd reached the point where there was nothing left to feel but the urge to find his rival and make him understand.

They didn't talk on the way, Sasuke shadowing the Pug and expecting him to know what he was doing, not needing to ask any questions. Pakkun and Naruto were probably close; unlike himself, the blond seemed to collect friends wherever he went, doing whatever he did. He still exchanged letters with some of the people they'd helped on missions as Genin.

Vaguely Sasuke knew the idea should have hurt, how Naruto made and then kept friends while he, Sasuke, couldn't really understand why he had the friends he had. But today he didn't feel the need to question it. It seemed obvious that it was one reason why they connected so strongly in the first place—there was something inherent in his teammate that Sasuke simply couldn't do without. It was why he had done a lot of things since the day they were both put on Team Seven.

Pakkun was efficient if also suspiciously tight-lipped. Sasuke ignored everything going on around them in the village; the crowds and the food smells and the brightly colored decorations blurred in his peripheral vision as they followed on the heels of Naruto's trail. All that mattered was getting to him and fixing things, no matter what it took.

And so he was surprised when something in the back of his mind broke into his thoughts, telling him to pay closer attention.

Sasuke blinked, noticing that they were now on the opposite side of the village's center and moving further away, the decorations and lanterns of the festival diminishing incrementally. He glanced at Pakkun with a questioning look, and the dog nodded.

"He came this way, kid. I'm sure of it."

Sasuke kept following, and when he could no longer deny the scenery around them he started to chuckle. This noise put Pakkun on alert, and Sasuke's gaze narrowed as he honed in on their destination.

"I know where he is, Pakkun."

He felt an odd twinge of excitement along with the anticipation of seeing Naruto again. The trail was obviously heading towards the Uchiha Clan's district, which meant Naruto had decided on his own to confront him. While he knew how strong the blond was, and how irrational his power sometimes became, Sasuke was glad that this time they would both be ready to face their issues head on.

He let Pakkun keep the pretense of leading them, though he knew—even with every wrong turn and random loop in Naruto's trail—that they would end up at his own house. The proof of this was not only in the scent, but in the chakra signature that Sasuke could have recognized in his sleep. He reached for a kunai, but resisted—he didn't want to be the first one to draw a weapon. Not when he wanted a peaceful resolution from this unavoidable confrontation.

Sasuke's skin tingled when they entered the large courtyard of his house, and Naruto waiting when they arrived. He stood tall and fierce out in the open, dirty and sweaty, absurdly and ruggedly attractive. With precise calculation, Naruto threw a shuriken in the nin-dog's path to cut him off.

Sasuke halted and Pakkun leaped out of the way, but barely. The intensity of Naruto's sky-blue eyes made him shiver as their gazes locked, but it was the words Naruto said, and the determination behind them that raised all the hairs on his body in response:

"We've got something to settle. _Uchiha … … Sasuke_."

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke's red eyes weren't wavering, locked with his as they faced off in front of the house.

Naruto was glad he had Sasuke's full attention, although his rival did reach his hand out towards the dog, shooing him. "Go back Pakkun; I've got it from here."

"Hn," Pakkun eyed them both suspiciously, but disappeared back the way they'd entered. Naruto was glad. While he didn't want the Pug to alert Kakashi before their fight was over, he'd have to risk it; he didn't want Pakkun to get hurt when things got started since he wasn't a combat type.

For a moment he and Sasuke just stared at each other. Then Sasuke took a step forward, and Naruto had a kunai in his hand so fast that only someone with the Sharingan could have seen the draw. Naruto's voice was controlled and he liked the sound of it; he'd had time while waiting for his rival to focus.

"Not so fast, Uchiha. First you tell me what the hell you were doing at registration." A hot breeze ruffled through their clothing and hair.

Sasuke moved his back foot up, so that he could face him evenly, though they were both on edge. He kept his hands loose at his sides, but it seemed to be costing him some effort.

"I've got a plan so you can win."

He'd meant for it to be a hook, and Naruto's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Why should I believe you? You said you weren't competing and now you _are _."

"Tch," Sasuke's scowl grew deeper along with his protest, "That's so no one will expect it when we fight together."

"Heh," Naruto chuckled dryly and glared back at him. "Teamwork? Coming from _you _?" That bastard must really think he was stupid. Stupid and _weak _. How presumptuous to think he would even consider it after what Sasuke had done today.

"I said the same thing to you once, Naruto," Sasuke took another step forward, his voice angrier, "But I was at least willing to listen. Don't you remember what we were able to do?"

"I didn't _ask _ for your help, Sasuke," Naruto clenched his teeth around the words, gripping the kunai tight in his fist. "I can win this on my own–I don't need you!"

"That's not the _point_!" Sasuke's voice was fierce, just like the chakra leaking from him in agitation. Naruto smiled to feel it; it meant Sasuke would fight seriously. _Good_.

"The point is, Sasuke, you don't really believe I can beat you," Naruto lowered his kunai to square his shoulders. "I'm going to show you that I _can_."

Sasuke's whole body changed, and there was a ferocity in his twin Sharingan that Naruto always enjoyed seeing. It was an essential element to their fights, and it pleased him to inspire it in his rival's face.

"What about the rule? Did you forget what Tsunade said?" Sasuke placed a hand on his hip, though his pose was significantly more superior than bored.

"She just said not to get _caught_." Naruto didn't falter from those eyes, which were beginning to simmer dangerously from the deliberate taunts. "You _worried _? _Sa-su-ke _?"

Sasuke's lips thinned. "You're not going to listen unless we fight, are you." There was understanding in his teammate's voice.

Naruto pointed with his free hand, "You started this! You set yourself against me when you walked in that room, and when you chose someone who could revive your clan!"

Sasuke's expression twisted in shock before returning to a mask of fury, and Naruto's belly flipped at seeing his small loss of control.

"Is _that _ what you think?" Sasuke's voice was low and tense, rising in volume with each word, "Then you don't know _anything _, Naruto!"

"I know I would never have betrayed _you_, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted back at him, sweeping his hand angrily across the space in front of him, palm down. He took up his preferred fighting stance and got ready to spring.

"I didn't betray you, Naruto, ask Neji!" Sasuke took another angry step forward, shaking as he shouted. "I would nev—"

"–Why should I believe you, Sasuke? Huh?" Naruto's hand shook from holding the kunai so tight. "Give me one good reason."

"Because I'm telling you the truth!"

Naruto laughed, though there was no humor in it. "The truth is you set me up because you always have to be the one who wins—but you will acknowledge _me _ today, Sasuke!"

"_Fine_, Naruto," Sasuke drew a kunai, slow and deliberate, taking his own stance; everything about it was assured and—Naruto was glad to see—_deadly_. "If this is the only way to convince you, if this is the only way to prove that you're wrong, so be it!"

Naruto charged him then, and the clanging of their kunai reverberated over the still, empty courtyard. They leapt and blocked and retreated, weapons clashing against weapons, the sounds of their sandals mixing with grunts of effort. Naruto threw a volley of shuriken as he sprang back the fourth time, making Sasuke pause long enough in deflecting them that he could conjure two clones.

The three of him rushed his rival, interweaving their paths to confuse which of him were the clones, pushing Sasuke to utilize some of his chakra to be fast enough to ward off their simultaneous attacks. He got one of the clones in a countermove, but Naruto had sacrificed it in order to force Sasuke in a certain direction.

Naruto deflected Sasuke's next shuriken, spearing one on the end of his kunai and firing it back. Sasuke nearly got himself tangled in the rope-trap Naruto had set, but he back-flipped and skidded away from it, and managed to pull off a stunt-shot with two more kunai to dispatch the second clone. Naruto met the Uchiha's cocky smirk with one of his own, just as Sasuke's outstretched heel tripped the wire of the second trap.

The look on his rival's face when he realized how he'd been maneuvered was priceless; it shivered down Naruto's spine as he took cover right before the paper notes exploded.

Sasuke tumbled out of the way without being injured, of course, but the icy, reassessing look in his eyes as he coughed from the dissipating smoke was what Naruto had really been after. Now Sasuke would know how serious he was—this was not like the games they usually played.

"Heh, had enough yet?" Naruto taunted him, his knuckles ridged with shuriken, knowing that they'd only just gotten started.

Sasuke glared at him in response, and this time he was the one to spring, avoiding the shuriken with his quick footwork. Naruto felt the impact of their bracing kunai in a jolt down his sore right arm; for a moment he was close enough to his teammate to see the whites of his bared teeth before they separated and circled and came at one another all over again.

Fighting felt good, and he didn't flinch when the edge of Sasuke's kunai nicked his arm in a sharp sting, slicing through his orange jacket in a surface wound. Naruto drew a second kunai, and used it to continue to press his rival to fight him harder. Sasuke may have drawn first blood, but it seemed like part of him was still holding back. Naruto scowled, and changed his tactics to move them around to the side of the house where there was less open space to move around.

He wanted this to get _personal_.

If Sasuke realized that they were slowly changing location, at first he didn't oppose it. Naruto edged them closer to the house, pushing until Sasuke tried to redirect their progress back the way they'd come; he'd guessed right about Sasuke's reluctance to cause damage to the house he lived in.

Naruto used more weapons than he would have liked, but he cut off Sasuke's retreat and forced him into the closer confines of the side yard, nestled between the house and the dividing wall. His shuriken made a dashed line along the richly stained planks of the wall with staccato _pings_, and Sasuke dodged by jumping along the skinny top edge of the wall with Naruto in hot pursuit. Sasuke loosed his own barrage of weapons from his vantage point and Naruto tumbled out of harm's way, then leapt to his feet and continued the chase.

When they'd reached the sloping rear courtyard, Sasuke somersaulted off the wall and tried to catch Naruto's feet with well-aimed ninja wire. For a second it sliced into the knees of his training pants, but then there was a poof of smoke, and Sasuke was left having lassoed a crusty log.

"Tch," the Uchiha muttered, releasing the wire instantly, Naruto's face equally intense as he prepared his strike from behind, having used a Kawarimi to switch locations.

Sasuke turned at the last second and blocked Naruto's knee before it rammed into his back, using Naruto's own momentum against him and forcing him to catch himself on his hands. He barely twisted out of range of Sasuke's incoming fist, and skidded to a stop in a crouch, his sandals kicking up some dust.

Naruto's teeth clenched tight in his mouth, and he eyed his rival with renewed anger—was he fighting him for real?

Sasuke stood a mid-distance away, the breeze shifting his hair across his eyes as he held his kunai ready, breathing hard through his mouth, the same as him. Naruto growled, and then he charged again, this time upping his previous speed by half.

Sasuke gasped and moved out of the way just in time, but Naruto wasn't going to go easy on him and followed up his punch with a second and then a third, which Sasuke finally caught. His red eyes were still bright with fury, but Naruto wanted to see more of that fury from Sasuke's _attacks_. He twisted his wrist and grabbed Sasuke's arm instead, yanking hard to throw him to the ground. But Sasuke turned his body free and swiped at him with the kunai, which Naruto easily evaded.

Naruto was almost out of weapons, but it didn't matter—he'd intended from the start to finish this with fists. Once more he conjured some clones, spreading four of him out to harass his rival. While not exactly his most original move, Naruto knew it was a great way to deplete enemy ammunition. He circled the clones around the Uchiha and attacked in pairs, impressed as always with his rival's dark grace in combat.

The clones disappeared, and Sasuke lost more of his weapons. Naruto pressed closer, letting a shuriken graze the top of his shoulder so he didn't lose the momentum of his lunging attack. He aimed his fist for Sasuke's stomach, getting him to hop backwards while he pushed them up the slope and towards the back porch.

Sasuke glared as he fought back, and when he saw his chance, Naruto kicked his leg to meet the kunai in Sasuke's hand. His rival turned the weapon so he wouldn't stab him in the foot, and with only slightly less consideration, Naruto allowed the sole of his shoe to smash Sasuke's hand into the closest wooden pillar, breaking his grip on the kunai but not breaking any bones in the process.

The Uchiha scowled like a gargoyle but didn't cry out, simply thrust his left elbow into Naruto's chin and made contact in a rush of pain that split his lip. Naruto hopped backwards a couple of steps, grinning despite the sting. Now _that's _ what he was talking about!

"Oi," Naruto chuckled, disregarding how his lip was already swelling. He settled himself in a comfortable attack stance, "Let's see if you can do that _again_."

When Sasuke came at him in a rush, Naruto managed to duck underneath his leaping kick but caught the impact of the following jab with his already sore forearm. Grunting with the effort of blocking and punching, he felt like they should be getting somewhere by now, but the outcome of this fight was still unclear.

Either they were both out of weapons, or Sasuke was trying to keep the match even by not going for any of his; the longer they fought the more Naruto started to feel like he was being toyed with. Was his rival even trying to win? He'd taken hits from Sasuke before, much worse than a split lip; though he couldn't say Sasuke wasn't trying at all, Naruto was convinced he was holding back.

His tanned, dirty fist went sailing by Sasuke's ear, and Naruto deliberately gave him a chance to hit him, just to test what he would do. Sasuke went for it, his clenched fingers on course to collide directly with his stomach, and Naruto didn't move out of the way.

The impact never came however, at least not how it should have—Sasuke opened his fist and shoved with the heel of his hand, knocking him on his back into the grassy dirt.

Naruto rolled up to a crouch, his eyes livid. He let out an angry roar and bounded towards his rival as fast as he could. He unleashed a tumult of attacks that kept Sasuke dancing as he dodged and blocked, his brain pounding with the rage that even now his rival assumed he'd given him the opening by mistake, and had taken pity on him by not landing a more powerful blow.

_Why _ did Sasuke insist on ignoring him? _Why _did Sasuke believe that of the two of them, he was the only one who could be any good at what they did? _Why _did Sasuke think he could say and do anything he wanted, without thinking of how others might react?

Shaking with rage, Naruto slammed his fist towards Sasuke's jaw, and Sasuke caught it. Perhaps it was because he could finally sense the rage, or frustration, Naruto didn't know for sure. But something made Sasuke smirk at him just then, his eyes flashing with what Naruto would have called _lust _ less than twenty-four hours ago, but now could only be some kind of selfish amusement.

It hurt to know the two could look so similar, whether Sasuke's eyes were red or black, and Naruto gave a rumbling howl as he lashed out at his rival, seeking to wound him as badly as he'd been wounded by two consecutive, _public _humiliations at the hands of the one he cared about most.

Since everything else he'd done to get Sasuke's full participation had failed, Naruto's fingers closed around the necklace at his rival's throat and he yanked with a savage thrill, snapping the chain and flinging it far into the yard where he couldn't see where it landed.

He felt surprisingly satisfied from the action—at least now Sasuke wouldn't be quite so _beautiful _ when he looked down on him.

Sasuke shoved him away, his mouth twisting in a snarl of shock mixed with horror. His pale fingers touched his neck, and then Naruto's stomach dropped at the look that rose into those Sharingan eyes. He felt every hair on his body stand on end at that look, and he fought not to show the shiver that climbed up his spine from the evidence that he'd finally—finally!—gotten the complete attention of Uchiha Sasuke.

_YES_. This was what he'd been looking for, this is what he knew it would be like if he ever was fighting on the opposite side of _those eyes_. This was someone worth fighting, worth proving himself to, worth being acknowledged by even if that was where the struggle ended.

Sasuke's answering bellow was ferocious, and Naruto could taste the aroma of something very close to desire on the surface of his tongue as he watched his rival sprint directly for him. Sasuke was attractive no matter what he did, it was a fact. But there was something about Sasuke when he was _enraged _ that had always drawn Naruto, even as it incensed him.

Mouth curled into a excited grin, blue eyes sharp and fierce, Naruto ran to intercept his rival, his fingers clenched tight in a gift of welcome. Sasuke was still snarling, and he cried out as he launched himself through the air, finally willing to fight with everything he had. Naruto swung his fist to meet him, and instead of simply striking back, Sasuke grabbed his forearm and threw him viciously across the grass with the spinning momentum of his own descent.

Naruto landed on his side, but bumped and skidded across the hard ground before he could get back to his feet and charge again, the air whistling painfully in his lungs from the impact. Sasuke moved to dodge, but caught Naruto's elbow in his back, just before Naruto got another cuff to the chin.

This went on for what seemed like ages, utter madness with both of them intent on getting the most hits to their opponent before they collapsed with fatigue. Most shinobi battles didn't last this long, although Naruto knew he and Sasuke weren't normal in either their reserves of stamina or in their desire to fight each other as hard and as often as possible.

Naruto planted his fist in Sasuke's jaw, making him stagger before his teammate countered with a kick to his knee. Naruto blocked with his own leg, but was knocked off balance by the awkward pose, which opened a chance for his rival to force him down to the grass. He twisted around, barely able to stay on his feet, but Sasuke intended to push his slight advantage.

His rival let out another barbaric shout, drawing out the battle cry as he came at him with fists flying. Naruto did his best to defend, but inevitably some of the attacks made it through his guard, and he didn't look forward to seeing the results that would be painted on his skin in the next hours. He was furious and thrilled to be caught up in a fight, but he didn't sense the Kyuubi bothering him this time–the fox was thankfully dormant after what had happened earlier.

Slamming his forearm against Sasuke's, Naruto was reminded why he preferred to fight this way; traps and stealth and some kinds of ninjutsu just weren't as natural, though he'd trained incessantly to master those kinds of skills over time. He was far from the worst, despite his longstanding nickname, but he'd always found hand-to-hand combat much more exhilarating—especially when his opponent was a dangerous predator like Uchiha Sasuke.

Naruto was glad that he trained every single day; it was necessary in order to fight with someone who could copy another ninja's moves. Fighting Sasuke here and now showed him pieces of Neji and Lee, and even Kiba. But it was the pieces that were Sasuke, _just Sasuke_, that were the most appealing to oppose.

_His _ wasn't an intensity Naruto could forget, even if Sasuke was usually like this only on their team's most dangerous missions. It was better, more thrilling than he'd imagined to be faced with such fury, and Naruto felt even more determined to conquer it.

Most of the time they fought each other with predetermined rules, expectations. But this today was a chance to see which of them would really come out on top once the smoke cleared. This was _different _.

Naruto knew the difference came from how the two of them were changing, and his heart tightened to think that they would change again, or were changing now—their rivalry was a necessary part of their existence, tinged now with molten, consuming desire.

Sasuke charged at him with so much passion, a passion also violent from its core of rage—_how _ had Naruto never noticed it before? How had he never noticed how it called to his own anger? Sasuke might believe he could choose someone else, but Naruto could now understand that there was no other person who could hope to equal what they were to each other.

Something in him had always known about this connection—something deep down that recognized his rival, the same something that claimed the Uchiha tensai with an overwhelming sense of possession. Naruto had a primal urge to mark him, to graffiti the word _mine _ on Sasuke's aura for everyone to see.

Did the bastard really think he could have this with anyone other than him?

This time when they charged each other, Naruto took another hit but grabbed on and held tight, effectively stopping any attacks while only increasing his rival's aggravation. Sasuke immediately fought against his hold, and the fact that he couldn't break free was what helped Naruto decide once and for all that he was truly unwilling to give up something that was _his_ no matter what Sasuke thought about it.

Their furious grappling took them to the ground, Naruto landing on something rocky that jabbed into his back before gravity had them rolling towards the lake. He grunted as they were slammed alternately into each other and the unyielding earth, but with a calculated move Naruto was able to stop them with an outstretched knee, scraping off most of the skin where his pants had been split, yet gaining the advantage of being firmly on top of his rival.

Using one hand to brace most of his weight, his knee throbbing in agony, Naruto grabbed Sasuke around the throat with his other hand to make sure he couldn't get away, pressing hard enough to leave a mark. He shoved his rival's head back, his other shin angled to pin his teammate's thighs.

Sasuke glared at him with eyes nearly glowing from his furor, and his fingers dug painfully into Naruto's wrist as he tried unsuccessfully to pry it off. Naruto didn't budge; he waited for the exact moment Sasuke knew he was at his mercy.

Naruto looked down on him, meeting those red eyes, not afraid of anything he would see, and Sasuke didn't bother to conceal any of his resentment or fury. His rival's whole body was rigid as his pale fingers barely loosened their futile hold on him, and Naruto could feel the frantic pulse of Sasuke's blood beating against his grip. He didn't care if it was uncomfortable; right now he meant it to be.

Both of them panted from the effort of fighting each other full out, and as the seconds ticked by, Naruto wasn't surprised to recognize that same _something _ besides anger dancing within the depths of Sasuke's eyes like it had before. Those eyes narrowed, daring Naruto to keep going, challenging him to move forward, and urging him to complete the thorough domination that he'd been so intent on from the moment the first charge had been made.

_Sasuke wanted him_.

What surprised Naruto was that it didn't make him any less angry.

Naruto shifted his balance slowly onto his hurt knee, moving his free hand from the ground to Sasuke's stomach, and then lower, somehow knowing what he'd find. He roughly cupped the full erection straining in Sasuke's pants. His rival didn't struggle, just looked at him with eyes full of hate, fear, and in-between those, a need so fierce that Naruto could taste it along with the tang of blood dripping along his lip.

_This _ was something, at least, that couldn't lie.

Brows creased on his forehead, Naruto stroked him once through his pants, his fist anything but gentle in his declaration of ownership, and Sasuke showed all his teeth as he scowled, his breath hissing out in rebellion to the pleasure that had him instinctively jerk up for more.

It would be so _easy_—Naruto could see it in the way Sasuke's fingers dug into his forearm, how he kept himself from struggling through the tension, how his eyes were pleading for it somewhere underneath the mutiny.

Naruto knew he could take him here, just like this, the anger and adrenaline and lust that they'd always had for each other merging in a moment of raging passion. He looked into those red eyes and felt disgusted for truly wanting to do it—Sasuke wasn't the only one who was hard. He wasn't the only one who'd enjoy it, even if it destroyed them.

He felt Sasuke swallow underneath the grip of his tanned hand, those eyes now screaming at him to '_Get on with it—what are you waiting for?' _

But after a difficult moment, Naruto moved not closer, but away from the temptation beneath him.

If they did it like this, Naruto knew it could only be this way between them afterwards. There would be no going back. And if there was even a small chance that they might be able to have something more than the repeated, frenzied slaking of lust born from an abusive anger, it wasn't worth damning them both now. Deep down he still believed they could have something better. And if he was wrong… well, _this _ would still be there, lying in wait. Forever tempting.

Naruto had won this fight. Sasuke knew it as well. For now, it was enough.

The last part of Sasuke that Naruto released was his throat. He moved two feet away to crouch on the knee that still had its skin, still watching his rival while very gently stretching the bunched muscles in his back that were crying for relief.

Sasuke sat up, slow and stiff like he hurt all over, but Naruto saw that he didn't touch his neck. It was red from his hand, and looked rather naked without the necklace, but Sasuke wouldn't show any weakness–it wasn't part of his nature. He did, however, adjust his crotch.

After a minute or two of sitting in silence, Naruto decided to ask the question that had been burning on his tongue for hours.

"Just how much of it was a lie, Sasuke?"

Sasuke aimed a level gaze, managing to make a noise like a chuckle though Naruto knew it hadn't come out quite right. His rival didn't falter with the next words, even with a raspy voice.

"I've never lied to you." Then, after a moment, he added, "_Moron_."

Naruto heard vibrations in the air, vibrations that tickled the roof of his mouth with the clarity and weight of _Truth_. He held Sasuke's gaze for a long moment, glad that it was something–something they could work with, could build on, could cling to in order to keep out of this pain-filled abyss.

Naruto rubbed the blood from his lip with the back of his hand, trying not to wince. "Tell me your plan. _Bastard_."

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[to be continued...]


	12. Chapter 12

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**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 12:

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"Just how much of it was a lie, Sasuke?"

Sasuke wanted to laugh at the question, sitting as he was on the grass, hot and sweaty and erect. Instead, he heard his voice make a kind of raspy gurgle that might have held a hint of his intended wryness. He licked his lips, his eyes not wavering from Naruto's as he told him the complete truth, praying the blond would hear him this time, and praying that it still mattered after what had just happened.

"I've never lied to you."

The air rippled like the ringing of a large and distant gong; from the connection of their eyes, Sasuke could see that Naruto had heard the absolute veracity of his statement. Everything stopped, hanging in recognition of the thin thread now stretching between them, one that could be made stronger if they both worked at it.

After a moment, because it seemed right to say it, Sasuke added, "_Moron_."

He watched with his red eyes as Naruto rubbed the blood from his lip with the back of his hand, the edges of his eyelids squinting from the sting. His teammate's voice was calm, though there was a similar significance in his reply.

"Tell me your plan. _Bastard_."

Sasuke let out the breath that he'd been holding.

He watched Naruto intensely, crouched and bleeding in more than one place. Those blue eyes still met his, however, and Sasuke tongued the inside of his cheek where he could taste his own blood; his teeth had cut straight into the skin from the force of one of Naruto's punches. He swallowed, preparing to answer though he didn't quite know how—he had so many of his own questions taking up his brainpower.

The afternoon heat was relentless, coupled with an uncomfortable humidity; Sasuke wasn't sure what was sweat and what was grime trickling along his skin. Every part of his body was throbbing, but the physical discomfort from the aftermath of their battle took a backseat to the overwhelming sensations that were trying to quarter his heart.

Something monumental had happened; he could feel it pounding in his ears along with his own pulse, deafening him to the background sounds of the afternoon. For a moment, all he could understand was the shock, disappointment, anger, and relief that twisted his insides in knots.

Every bit of him had wanted it—had wanted Naruto to take that last step. He'd wanted to give himself over to their mutual rage, to his surprising arousal under the rough hands of his rival, to the hunger for Naruto's powerful fury that had struck him like nothing he'd imagined before. It was unbelievable—both the shocking existence of such a desire, and the disappointment that it hadn't, in fact, been fed.

At this moment however, what scared him most was the knowledge of how badly he'd wanted _Naruto _to break them. If he had, Sasuke was sure things could never again move forward or backward; they would be stuck at that same level of abusive passion, cruel even as it satisfied for a fleeting instant. He'd wanted Naruto to break them, because then it wouldn't be his—_Sasuke's_—fault. Not his fault, and not his responsibility.

He should have known that Naruto would be too strong to give in.

That strength was what drew him to Naruto, what had earned his respect, and why he despised himself right now—he wasn't sure whether he'd have been strong enough to stop them had Naruto pushed to keep going. Sasuke's body was bitterly disappointed, even while he was glad that maybe they'd have a chance to make things right. He and Naruto had agreed to a truce, however tentative, which meant what they did now, here, would set the tone for the rest of their interactions. They could step back just as easily as step forward.

Slowly, but with as much grace as he could muster, Sasuke got to his feet. Naruto did too, but stayed and watched as Sasuke moved directly to the spot on the ground where he'd seen Itachi's gift land with a _plink_. Naruto had a good arm; he had to go nearly halfway around the house.

He reached down and picked up the thin cable, the three beads miraculously still attached and whole. The clasp was mangled on one side and missing on the other, but if he was lucky a jeweler in town might be able to repair it. Sasuke closed his fist around the cool glass and metal pieces, squeezing their edges into his palm—he wavered between the newly rising anger that it had been broken, and the relief that it had a chance at being fixed since it was irreplaceable. Sasuke didn't miss the irony.

He turned as he heard his rival approaching the spot, picking his way carefully through the mess they'd created. Naruto was still watching him with that cunning that came over him in intense situations. Sasuko still couldn't believe the blond had had the _balls_ to set traps for him on his own property.

Sasuke waited until Naruto was close enough that he wouldn't have to shout. "You never met my brother, did you."

Naruto's brows met above his striking blue eyes. "Itachi? Not that I remember…" His voice trailed off.

Sasuke sighed, looking away. It hurt that Naruto had broken his necklace, the one that matched his brother's. He might as well have ripped out his throat. But it helped to see in his face that Naruto hadn't known he'd almost destroyed the last present Itachi had given him before—

"What does he have to do with your plan?" Naruto asked, interrupting his thoughts.

_The plan._

Sasuke paused, considering, slipping the remains of the necklace into his empty shuriken pouch. This wasn't the time to analyze all the confusing, conflicting urges inside him, or to be sentimental about his brother, or to address the fact that someday he'd have to figure out how to revive the Uchiha clan (as Naruto had so bluntly pointed out). _Those _could wait.

Right now, their truce required that he share the plan, and Naruto listen. After that…?

For now, maybe it was best to pretend this was just another mission.

He turned away from Naruto, eyes roving over the littered weapons and evidence of shinobi combat all over the yard. He inhaled a breath filled with the pleasant familiarity of regular ninja activities, and took a step forward, steeling his mind with the same kind of emotionless focus that made their missions a success. There was a distinct sense of relief that coupled such deliberate mental discipline, and he embraced it, continuing around the house to the door, expecting Naruto to follow him.

Naruto crossed the threshold after him, and Sasuke shut the door while Naruto shrugged out of his filthy orange jacket and turned to hang it on one of the hooks. Sasuke knelt by the front door and took another deep breath, his fingers shifting seamlessly through the long combination of seals despite the twinge of pain in his right hand. He had just enough chakra to spare to make sure they weren't disturbed.

Chakra prepared, he pressed his crossed palms into the seal carved into the base of the door, closing his eyes against their sudden burning as the chakra-alarm system activated at six other points along the perimeter with a rush and a snap to complete the shape. Sasuke felt dizzy. He'd definitely overused his Sharingan.

"What was that?" Naruto asked behind him, and Sasuke replied without turning around, his head aching. It didn't surprise him that Naruto could feel the jutsu surrounding the structure of the house.

"It's a barrier. Itachi made it the last…" his throat closed on its own. He moved his hands from the door. "Someone may have followed us."

"You didn't set it the last time I was here."

"We weren't targets then." Sasuke replied.

"I could have stationed some clones," Naruto commented.

"You're not supposed to be at my house, Naruto."

Temples throbbing, Sasuke got up from the floor and met Naruto's eyes briefly before heading up the stairs. On the second floor, Sasuke turned to the left, passing the flight of stairs that led up to his bedroom. He walked to the end of a short hallway, slid open the first door they came to and flicked the switch to light the fan-shaped sconces in the four corners.

The room he used for planning strategies and tactics was windowless and stuffy, cramped by shelving and bookcases on every vertical surface save the closed door on the opposite wall. All available space was packed to the brim with scrolls and tomes that dated back to the first Uchiha shinobi; rescuing these had been no small task.

Sasuke moved to the low table in the center and knelt on the far side, taking out two sheets of parchment and his ink set from underneath. Naruto entered without comment, wincing as he knelt opposite him, and then folding his legs into a more comfortable position. Sasuke was glad he'd left the door to the hall open; it was rather warm inside.

As he prepared the ink, Sasuke watched Naruto looking around the room. He was unusually quiet, but from Naruto's expression he seemed impressed with the amount of knowledge represented by the contents of the shelves—it was good to see his teammate's hunger for learning, something they had in common even with their opposite approaches. Sasuke dipped the brush and began to make neat characters, and Naruto settled his eyes on the ink marks spreading over the page.

"Now that we know what the Hunt entails, this will be much easier," Sasuke began, the room filled with the gentle scratching of the brush against the surface of the parchment.

He made an outline on one sheet, and on the other he quickly listed all of their opponents, dividing them by rank, and then further by the categories he'd grouped in his mind. Sasuke turned the first page sideways so they could both read it, pushing it halfway across the table between them.

"Here is what we know," he indicated the points of interest with the handle of the brush. Naruto turned the parchment a bit more, and then followed the dark ink with his blue eyes.

"Stage one is to find Morino Ibiki. We know he'll be in Konoha, and we have to find him in order to get to stage two."

Naruto nodded, and Sasuke continued, "Stage two is where we look for the spheres. We know the size, shape, and color of the spheres, but we don't know how many you'll need to go on to stage three."

Naruto looked up, "Or what's inside them."

"Yes," Sasuke agreed. At any other time he would have smirked, since Naruto had anticipated some of the more important facets of the competition contrary to the belief that he had a terrible memory.

Sasuke cleared his throat instead, "It might be best to heed the Hokage's advice, in this case. Her warning seemed genuine." He reached for the second sheet of parchment, placing it overtop the first. Naruto's eyes flicked over the names he'd written.

"These two columns are our opponents." He pointed to each cluster of names as he explained, "These twenty are the Chuunin, including us, and this side has the seventeen Jounin. These first groups are the shinobi you or I have fought before. Next are the ones we've seen fight, but not fought ourselves. And then the last are the ones neither of us have seen fight before. We'll need to see what information we can get about them."

"Why is Kakashi's name by itself?" Naruto pointed at the precise characters, looking up at him.

Sasuke paused, folding his hands in front of his face. They were getting to the heart of his strategy. He debated internally for a few moments, and then met Naruto's eyes across the table.

"I should probably write Iruka's name too…" He shrugged, resting his hands on the table's surface. "Do you remember when we were training, two days ago?"

"Across the lake?" Naruto propped his chin on his hand, "What about it?"

"I told you the Hunt wouldn't be like taking bells from Kakashi."

Naruto's eyebrows slid together. "I remember."

"Well," Sasuke leaned forward a bit, "What if it was?"

Naruto looked at him for a moment, but Sasuke could see the gears turning behind the handsome, whiskered face. "You mean the spheres."

"Exactly," Sasuke nodded. "Have you ever gotten a bell from him by yourself before?"

Naruto shook his head, pursing his lips. Sasuke tapped Kakashi's name on the parchment.

"Neither have I. However…" He let the implication sink in.

"We get the bells when we work together," Naruto finished the statement.

"Every time." Sasuke relaxed somewhat, now that there was clear support for his earlier argument. "Technically we aren't trying to eliminate him since he's a different rank, but it could turn out that he has the one sphere that makes the difference. And it wouldn't hurt to keep him from stage three if at all possible."

Naruto was fitting more of the pieces together for himself, "Zabuza. That's what you meant, before. Outside."

Sasuke did smirk then, faintly, and Naruto returned it with half a grin. The small step forward felt nice. "Exactly. And that was when we were _Genin_." He let the rest of the thought hang in the air: _Think what we could do now._

Naruto's stomach chose that particular moment to growl, the noise completely incongruent with the intensity of their planning. Naruto moved his left hand to cover the sound.

"Okay, Sasuke. I see some of what you're getting at. But what do these marks mean?" Naruto reached across with his other hand, touching the names that had a tiny, shuriken-like star drawn beside them.

Sasuke looked away, collecting his thoughts. Naruto had never met Itachi, so he couldn't understand why people quaked at his brother's memory. Personally he was unsettled; he didn't want his clan to be measured only by how strongly people _feared _it. It wasn't what Itachi wanted either.

"At Tsunade-sama's speech," Sasuke looked back at his teammate, "Do you remember how some people were acting strangely?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "Yeah."

"Itachi never told me what happened during the Hunt last time, at least not in any detail…" Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it off his hitai-ate. The room was getting so humid that the cloth under the metal plate was damp from his steady sweat.

"But from what I've pieced together, something must have happened–something that everyone who fought against him hasn't been able to forget."

"Hmmm," Naruto was pensive, eyes flicking over the names on the parchment, "So these are the ones who fought against Itachi last time?"

"Possibly," Sasuke leaned forward, resting his elbows on the surface of the table. His voice held a hint of dry humor. "Those are the ones who seem to think I'm just as scary as my brother. And today I tried to convince them they were right."

He wanted to laugh at the absurdity that anyone could possibly think he was as strong as Itachi—he couldn't even be _close_.

Naruto glanced up at that, "Is that what the whispering and staring was all about last night?"

Sasuke shrugged, looking away. "Kakashi says I look like him. So it's possible that people assume I fight like him as well. It's not a bad thing; it'll help us in the end if we make it an advantage."

"If that first part's true, then I'd definitely remember if I met him," Naruto commented. Sasuke glanced over in time to see his teammate's lip curl wryly at the statement. Then the blond continued, the spark draining from his face. "That would explain why everyone was asking me about you at registration."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and Naruto moved some of his damp hair away from his forehead. "I told all of them that you weren't competing. I _insisted_, since you'd told me yourself that you weren't, and then you came to compete anyway." He paused, their eyes meeting, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Sasuke frowned. Well that explained why Naruto had been so angry, at least in part—everyone must think he'd lied, something totally unacceptable for him. _Damn it!_ One more thing that had been out of his control. Sasuke scowled, remembering the frustration of not being able to find his teammate so that he could tell him the plan and avoid all this mess. Where the hell had he been?

"I searched for you before registration, but you weren't in any of your normal places. So where were _you_, Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes widened a fraction, and he quickly reached behind his back, like he was looking for something… near his shuriken pouch? Sasuke couldn't tell what he'd been reaching for, but Naruto swallowed, and brought his hand back to his lap, empty. It might have been the heat, but the blond's cheeks seemed just a bit pinker—it was odd.

"I went to registration early," he said, "I wanted to be sure I had a full report." His stomach growled loudly again, but they both ignored it. They didn't need to bring up why it was empty—it was awkward enough already.

Sasuke watched him a moment before continuing, folding his hands once more. "If the goal is to get you to the final round, then my plan of fighting together will serve two purposes." Naruto shifted forward, eyes alert once more.

"First, it will rattle the majority of your opponents if they think Uchiha Itachi—or someone like him—is there. You saw that several Ninja left after I said my name?"

Naruto nodded, face serious. "Eight."

Sasuke went on, "Second, for opponents like Kakashi-sensei, and maybe Iruka-sensei too, I can be your backup. But you'll have to win the third round on your own, Naruto."

"Heh," Naruto's face was serious but his eyes were gleaming. "You can count on it." Sasuke smirked, unable to help getting excited about the competition ahead.

"I think we should go over the things we still have to figure out," he said, shifting the ink and parchment to the side, and lifting the cover from the tabletop. He rose to his knees and set the thin, rectangular panel on the floor behind him.

"This is Konoha!" Naruto's surprised and impressed voice held an edge of excitement. When Sasuke turned back, Naruto had gotten up on his good knee, eyeing the map of the village and surrounding forests that had been revealed.

Sasuke pointed to orient them, "Here is the Hokage tower, and here is the Academy."

"And Ichiraku's is around here," Naruto chuckled, rubbing his fingertip over the place where the stand had been in business for as long as either of them could remember. Sasuke took a moment to survey the outer areas of green, contemplating exactly where Tsunade might set up the competition.

"Tsunade-sama said she'd be sectioning off an area of forest. This area here," he circled his finger around the area in question, "…would be a good choice. Less trafficked, and away from the river. But there's obviously a lot of forest for her to choose from."

"What about here?" Naruto reached across the table to indicate the Forest of Death. "It's already—"

Sasuke shot his hand out before the blood dripping down Naruto's arm could stain the map. Their eyes met, and Naruto licked his lip, as if to check how badly he was bleeding elsewhere as he withdrew his arm, careful not to let any more near-accidents happen. Glancing down at the drop staining his hand, Sasuke made a suggestion, finding it odd he hadn't thought of it before now; a sure sign of how stressful the last hours had been.

"I have medical supplies downstairs in the kitchen. You'll find them in the pantry." He used the water from his ink supplies to rinse the tiny spot from his palm.

Naruto's stomach growled, and he chuckled, getting to his feet. "I'll make some tea while I'm there."

"Tea is in—"

"—I remember." Naruto shot him a partial-grin as he turned and left the room.

Sasuke could hear him hopping down the steps and padding into the kitchen with his typical exuberance, and he took advantage of the opportunity to close his eyes and lean his head into his hands. This planning was all necessary, and not something they could put off. But each minute it took only made his headache worse. He'd release the Sharingan first thing, once the blond left…

Sasuke pressed his lips together. Yes, Naruto would leave after this, instead of anything else that might have been planned before. He sighed, a long deep sigh of frustration, fatigue, and resignation.

Being teammates was better than nothing. They already knew how to work together as ninjas; they were settling into the comfort of it right here and now. They'd plan their strategy, they'd fight as a team, and when this ridiculous festival was over maybe then they could inch their way forward once more, someplace between missions and gate duty and waiting for Kakashi to show up for more missions and gate duty.

It wasn't much, but it was something. And it was far better than what could have happened.

Slipping his hand into his pouch where he could hold onto his brother's necklace, Sasuke took a deep breath and did his best to relax. He held his forehead in his left hand, and listened to the muffled sounds of Naruto in his kitchen, ignoring the part of his mind that was amused at trying to picture the fumbling that went along with the noises.

* * *

--

* * *

Kakashi used a henge to blend in with the Inn's regular patrons as he followed the mass of Lords and servants and, of course, the Princess–though she was taking a long time to fuss with her horse.

The afternoon was pleasantly hot, but the scent of water hung heavy in the breeze; Kakashi glanced up at the thickening clouds moving overhead before passing through the Inn's doors. Then he peeked at the roster as he passed the front desk. As he'd guessed, the Daimyo, his daughter, and their essential servants had been housed in suites on the top floor, with the rest of the Lords on the floor directly beneath. However everyone made their way straight ahead to the Inn's largest meeting room, set up for a banquet.

Kakashi knelt and pretended to be searching for something in his pack, obviously someone too unimportant for royalty to notice as they filed down the hall and into the room, the various servants sweeping behind their patrons in an elegant entourage. The Daimyo waited for the hall to clear, save for himself and the three men who never left his side. He was obviously waiting for the Princess, and Kakashi concealed himself effortlessly behind a decorative plant.

The last of the group, Tomoko—followed closely by a very timid looking slip of a maid, and a raven haired man armed with both Katana and Wakizashi—patted her father on his cheek and smirked with more than a little disrespect.

"Send food to my chambers, father, I have to prepare for tonight's performance. You don't need me to discuss _horseflesh_, I trust."

She turned and started to continue up the stairs, her cloak covering her dainty shoulders. The maid remained at her side, as if the thought of standing alone outside the Princess' shadow was terrifying. Tomoko's bodyguard scowled at her retreating form, nearly as deeply as the Daimyo.

"Tomoko!"

She halted at her father's bark, the look on her face mutinous as she turned partway to regard him, though she said nothing.

"You will attend me after your performance. Clearly we have something important to discuss, daughter." The Daimyo's men were alert, but they pretended not to notice what was going on between the two members of the noble family. Such well-trained servants.

"Very well, your highness." Her ponytail swished behind her as she climbed the stairs before she'd been formally dismissed, deliberately unhurried.

The Daimyo fixed his face to mask his outrage, but he caught the arm of the Princess's bodyguard before he could follow. The bodyguard's face was steely, awaiting instructions from his patron who spoke in a low, angered voice.

"Hisagi-san. Don't you leave her side. Make sure she goes nowhere except to the stadium and back; I don't want her anywhere on her own!"

"Yes, Shijimi-dono."

Hisagi bowed deferentially, and the Daimyo released his arm. The man caught up to the Princess, who didn't acknowledge him as they made their way upward. Scowling after them, the Daimyo chewed on his lip before turning to one of his personal samurai guards.

"Fujimiya. Send someone to watch over the Uchiha as well; choose whoever you want. I don't want anyone coming _here_, either—it would only cause more trouble."

"It is done." Fujimiya stroked a gloved hand through the graying hair at his temples. His voice dropped several notches as he leaned towards the Daimyo. "No ninja will taint your line, Oyabun."

Fujimiya gave a low, unfriendly chuckle, watching the Princess and her guard turn out of sight on the second floor. Kakashi memorized the man's features; this one must have more status than the rest, based on his attire and the difference in the exchange. The two men shared a look, and then the Daimyo turned his back on the stairs and entered the banquet hall behind one of the lesser guards. The other two followed, flanking him in formation.

Kakashi waited for a cluster of new patrons to pass him on their way to the steps before rising and moving down the hallway towards the very back of the building. Sensing no one behind the last door, he ducked into the Inn's laundry facility, moving quickly behind the racks of sheets and towels and pulling out his radio equipment from one of his pouches. He strapped it to his neck, and then fitted the earpiece, conjuring a clone with identical equipment once everything was set.

He helped to remove a ceiling tile, and then sent the clone to crawl silently back across the hall to listen from between the supports while the Lords got settled for their dinner. Kakashi didn't want to miss any of the mealtime small-talk, since it would probably reveal more to him than any other time. But he also wanted to see if there was anything else to be gained from the Princess before she left for her performance.

Kakashi henge'd once more, becoming a dutiful Inn attendant, and he helped himself to an armload of clean towels. Disguise in place, he exited the laundry and used invisible speed to catch up to the Princess's group. Keeping out of sight behind her, he followed the steady progress up to the top floor, curious about the tension he sensed between her and the guard Hisagi.

The steps finally opened out on the fifth floor, and Kakashi peeked from the stairwell as the three made their way down the long hallway and turned into a shorter corridor; Tomoko's chambers must be at the far end. Creeping through the intersecting halls invisibly, Kakashi was mildly disappointed at the continued silence when Tomoko stopped five steps from her door. Hisagi slowed, the shy young maid halting beside the Princess automatically.

"You're still mad at me, aren't you." Tomoko chuckled, turning her head to look coyly over her shoulder at the prim bodyguard. Her voice was soft, aimed at Hisagi though the maid had to have heard. It was a tense moment before the guard replied.

"I protect and serve, Princess Shijimi. Nothing more. Nothing less."

Hisagi's reply was quiet, but steady. Threatening. His shoulders held a rigidity that told of some kind of animosity between them; Tomoko seemed like the kind of woman who enjoyed making the men around her annoyed, whether it was deliberate or not. Tomoko's lips kept up the smirk, but her eyes sparked with danger.

She chuckled, "We'll be leaving for the Stadium in half an hour, Hisagi-san. Try not to get too bored out here in the hall."

She turned from him then, and continued walking towards her doorway. Kakashi emerged from the invisibility jutsu, the towels heaped in his arms to help block the illusion of his face. Tomoko knocked on the door, and a middle-aged woman, one of the Shijimi maidservants no doubt, opened the door; the yellow and black of her uniform declared her patronage as clearly as the golden swordsman's robes worn by all the Shijimi guards.

Hisagi took up position on one side of the doorway, not looking at the Princess. The older woman's voice was as gentle as her expression, and as warm as the sunlit fabric of her uniform.

"I took the liberty of having food brought up, Tomoka-sama." She stepped back and the Princess strolled through the doorway.

"Thanks, Ayame-chan." Ayame smiled at the compliment, and Tomoko squeezed her shoulder, unfastening her cloak on the way into her sitting room. "Father will forget once he's involved with the rest of the idiots downstairs."

The old woman patted the arm of the young maid as she slipped through the doorway behind the Princess.

Kakashi made his way down the hall, "Pardon me! More towels for the Princess!"

Hisagi regarded him coolly, but made no move to stop him. Kakashi fought the urge to grin–it was so much fun to pretend he wasn't actually a highly skilled ninja. It almost made up for the fact that there were loads of things he'd rather be doing.

Ayame held open the door, giving instructions on where to put the towels though she was regarding Hisagi critically. "Put them in the bathing room. And please have the kitchen send up another serving of fish and rice."

Kakashi surveyed the Princess' chambers, memorizing the floor plan as he deposited the towels where instructed. He gave Tomoko a polite bow, though she was daydreaming as she ate at the low table in the center of the first room, totally unaware of both him and the younger maidservant pouring her tea. Tomoko's eyebrows were drawn from the intensity of her thoughts, but she ate with the same kind of royal grace that had been in all her acrobatic moves.

Not lingering, he also bowed to Ayame, "I'll have the food brought immediately. Excuse me."

He glanced at Hisagi's calculating and sour face on his way out, walking purposefully back down the hall to the corner, and catching the last bit of dialogue before Tomoko's door closed.

"You need to remember to eat, too, Hisagi-san. How will you protect our Princess if hunger makes you brood so?" Her voice was gentle as she teased, but Hisagi wasn't in the mood.

"I appreciate your concern, but I am fully capable of fulfilling my duties no matter how little, or how much I eat."

Kakashi smirked at the pride in his voice. Very samurai. And very male.

Ayame sighed, but the Jounin could hear a smile behind it. "Just humor this old woman and eat some rice. Surely you can do that and fulfill your duties at once?"

Hisagi must have acquiesced, for Kakashi could hear the woman chuckling as she closed the door. He hurried to the kitchens and placed the order, then teleported when the coast was clear to join his clone where it was stationed above the Feudal Lords.

That was the one problem with using a disguise instead of invisibility. There was always the risk of get ting sent on random errands. And Kakashi had to agree with Ayame—Hisagi definitely seemed like he could use something to eat. Anyone guarding a Princess like Tomoko needed all the fortitude he could get.

Kakashi sighed, and sent the clone to follow the Princess to her performance. He peered between the ceiling tiles and supports with his one eye, refocusing his mind on the Daimyo and the rest of his mission.

They were just now bringing in the food; the clone hadn't had much of a report. Fujimiya had sent one of his minions out of the room, presumably to dispatch a guard from the barracks to the Uchiha district. That was pointless, but Kakashi could hardly tell them that. Let them think their swordsmen could be effective against a shinobi at least for a little longer. It was lucky he already had Pakkun tagging along with his protégé—he wouldn't have to send another clone to see how things developed.

Good grief. And this morning had started out so nice, too.

* * *

--

* * *

Iruka sat on his sofa, worrying the skin around his thumbnail with his teeth.

He'd done the dishes. He'd sorted his laundry. He'd cleaned the bathroom sink. He'd moved around the books and scrolls and manuals in his "library" and tried to organize them by topic. Finally he'd taken a bath to try and relax, even going so far as to dig out an old thriller and then bury himself inside it while lounging on his couch, though he'd ended up paying the most attention to his thumb anyhow.

He sighed, and tossed the book on the cushion at the far end, giving up. He just wasn't any good at waiting, and Kakashi was taking much too long. The clock above his door showed it had been over two hours since registration had ended–what could the Jounin be doing? Surely by now he'd have come over?

They'd talked about dinner and everything.

He couldn't stop thinking about what had happened in the conference room, from the moment he'd seen Genma all over his boyfriend to the look on Naruto's face before he ran off, leaving him alone on the steps. Iruka stood up and began pacing, hearing Naruto's last words repeat in his mind—

_"… Not everyone's like Kakashi-sensei. He's probably up there waiting for you."_

Compared to what was happening between Naruto and Sasuke, the things that Iruka had been upset about seemed totally insignificant. And despite the murderous intent behind the look he'd gotten from Kakashi during registration, he just couldn't believe that he had done something to warrant it. And the thing with Genma…?

There _had _to be an explanation.

Iruka quit his pacing and went to the door, slipping on his sandals and putting on his flak jacket. He unhooked the jacket he'd borrowed from Kakashi and went out the door, draping it over his arm and jumping off his balcony to head in the direction of his lover's apartment. If Kakashi wasn't coming to him, then he'd go over to the Jounin's. There were too many things that needed to be discussed to wait any more. Not that he'd be able to wait without going crazy from the anxiety—he _hated _when there was any kind of tension between them.

The afternoon had shifted lazily into evening, and the outdoor food vendors were gaining long lines of customers, some of the smaller children still dressed up in Yukata. The sky was thicker with clouds than the night before, and the air had taken on humidity, the kind that usually preceded a hard rain, although it still seemed far off.

Iruka took it all in academically, the higher functions of his brain trying to work out exactly what he wanted to ask, and what he needed to say to Kakashi. It was clear maybe some things should change.

Iruka moved quickly and efficiently over the village, coming to Kakashi's building and entering through the kitchen window, smirking that it was open for him. He hopped down from the counter and called Kakashi's name, but stopped when he caught sight of the coffee table.

Pausing to return Kakashi's jacket to the hook by the door, and eyeing the black cloak next to it in curiosity, Iruka went over to the coffee table to check what he was seeing. He sighed, biting his lip at the two kunai on the surface, both pointing towards the kitchen.

The kunai meant that the mission was in Konoha; they had a different weapon or combination to signify each country on the map. Two of them meant two days; he'd have to assume Tsunade didn't mean to keep Kakashi out of the Hunt if he had been there for registration. And the western direction—north was the bedroom, south was the front door—meant that it wasn't likely to get him killed.

Iruka's brows drew together anyways; Kakashi had never pointed them in any other direction, not even once.

At least now he knew Kakashi had an excellent reason for standing him up at dinnertime.

Iruka left the way he'd entered, closing the window behind him and feeling disappointed, although in a way he was glad for the reminder that ninja could never really have complete control of their lives. Kakashi could get called away at any time. And while not nearly as glamorous, Iruka could be scheduled at the mission office whenever it was required of him, no matter what he personally preferred or how badly he needed a break.

He stopped by his house long enough to change into some training clothes and restock his weapons pouches. Being a teacher did have its perks, and Iruka finally had a great excuse to use the restricted training grounds for more than the usual five-days-a-week practice session. He could probably get a good long workout in before the rain started.

Iruka was certainly no slacker when it came to training and combat, or he'd be a very poor teacher indeed–so he knew better than to rise to Sasuke's taunt. But it also wouldn't hurt to do some more serious training before the Hunt, and it was a much better way to pass the time than sitting cooped up in his apartment. If he couldn't spend his time with his favorite person, then he would spend it on his second favorite activity.

Iruka flushed. His _first _favorite activity would probably have to wait until after the Hunt, or at least until the Hunt was in full swing if his lover was away on a mission up until it started. And here Kakashi had probably been joking when he'd suggested it! Iruka chuckled as he left his apartment, though he felt more wistful than embarrassed at the idea.

Being a ninja wasn't the easiest life, so maybe it was best to grab hold of the good things whenever you could.

He adjusted his katana in its back sheath, and dashed off into the sticky summer evening, the distant drumming of the festival music rumbling softly in his wake.

* * *

--

* * *

Naruto felt surprisingly serene hopping carefully down the stairs to Sasuke's kitchen. He often did after a good fight, but he hadn't been so sure the conclusion of _this_ one would lead to any kind of serenity.

While it had been a little scary, fighting Sasuke today had been a very good thing–there was something new between them now, some sort of recognition that hadn't been there before. As long as he knew his teammate hadn't lied, they had a chance of keeping this bond alive.

It wasn't exactly like before… but it was comfortable. Startlingly so. Planning out a mission, which is what they were doing, in a way, was a familiar routine. They were good at being ninjas, they were good at being teammates. It was a good place to begin.

After wiping the blood from his arm with a paper-towel, and washing the dirt and grime from his hands and skin, Naruto put the teakettle on to boil and got out two mugs. He opened the plastic from the fresh box of tea in the cupboard, figuring that it had to be something Sasuke liked if he had just bought it. Naruto wasn't picky about tea. And teabags were easier than loose tea, anyhow.

Once that was set, he grabbed a banana from the counter and ate it in three seconds on his way across to the pantry. He was _starving_. He'd replace the banana if Sasuke really minded.

Naruto opened the door, eyes sweeping across the shelves looking for the medical kit; he found it on the floor, tucked under the bottom shelf. He hadn't anticipated the need for bandages today, so obviously he hadn't brought anything useful with him. His pouches were empty now anyhow, weapons scattered all over Sasuke's lawn. The only thing he still carried was the book Kakashi had given him—Naruto had completely forgotten all about it until Sasuke had brought up where he'd been all afternoon.

He wouldn't lie, if Sasuke asked him directly if he had porn in his pocket… but it _definitely_ wasn't the right time to go into any of that. They may have called a truce, but it was a fragile one—things could still go all wrong if they jumped too quickly.

In any case, he didn't think either of them had the energy for more than strategy at this point, which was a good thing; being in a small, stuffy room with his rival didn't make his body respond to him any less, despite what they'd been through, or how dirty they were. Some memories were still fresh.

Sasuke said he hadn't kissed the Princess. Naruto didn't understand how that could be, but somehow he could feel that Sasuke had been as truthful about that as everything else. He'd really had a plan; they were going over it right now. It even made sense. But the kiss and the Princess still bothered him, much more than he wanted to admit. Sasuke had _very _strong ideas about his clan.

Naruto set the kit on the island, and searched some of the lower cabinets to find the trashcan for the banana peel. His knee hurt the worst; he knelt down to look it over, picking out some pebbles and bits of grass from the skinned surface. Hopefully the Kyuubi wouldn't refuse to heal him overnight as usual.

He took out the scissors from the kit and finished cutting his pants where the ninja wire had started the job. The pants were shot. He'd have to get new ones. Once he'd trimmed the pants into shorts, he spread some ointment on his hurt knee and bandaged it tight, making sure he could still bend and move unhindered.

He touched more ointment to his other kneecap, sliced across in three lines by Sasuke's wires. His arm was next, the minty grease stopping the blood from pooling along the shallow wound; the scratch was longer than he'd thought, now that he was looking. Satisfied, he stood and went to the sink. He wet another paper-towel, wiping the cool cloth over his sweaty, dirty face and neck. His lip had stopped bleeding, but was still a bit tender. He'd have to be careful when drinking his tea.

He threw the detached legs of his pants away, putting everything else back into the kit and trying to close the lid, but he met with surprising resistance. Frowning, Naruto removed some of the items, reorganized and tried again—it still wouldn't shut. He tried a third time, going so far as to lean part of his weight on the lid, but something was still not right. Scowling, he took everything back out again, determined to figure out what he was doing wrong.

Bandages… Gauze… Disinfectant… Pain pills… Ration bars… Ointment… Tape… Ointment… Splints… Band-Aids… _Wait_.

His blue eyes flicked over the two jars of ointment. He pushed aside the one he knew he'd just used, and reached for the larger jar. He turned it over in his hand so he could read the whole label: ABURAME.

_"Shino?"_ Naruto squinted at it in confusion.

Where had this come from? What was it doing here? Had it come from inside the kit, or had he put it in there by mistake?

Naruto set the mysterious jar aside, returned the rest of the items to the kit, and closed the lid. The clasps caught smoothly, without the slightest need for force.

Eyeing the jar with suspicion, Naruto walked over to the pantry and set the medical kit back in its spot on the floor. He was reaching out to close the door when his eyes caught a familiar sight on the uppermost shelf. He instantly forgot all about the jar—the top level of Sasuke's pantry was completely full of _Ramen_.

Sasuke didn't eat Ramen, not like Naruto did. And this was a lot of it. Much more than Sasuke would ever eat on his own in an entire month. Even _two_ months. What was he doing with so much Ramen? Like he was stocking up for…

The teakettle started whistling, a sharp noise that rose in pitch until Naruto dashed over and turned the heat off. Getting the mugs ready, he poured in the steaming liquid, and set the kettle back down, leaning against the island for a moment and gazing across the room at the pantry.

A _shelf_ of Ramen. A shelf of _Ramen_.

Naruto turned around, gazing out the window at the front yard where their fight had begun. The trees waved their branches in the wind; dust and twigs shuffled across the yard from the gusts. He glanced up into the clouds, not dramatically darker but definitely thick and moving too fast, the setting sun a dim glow behind the movements. It was going to rain, later. No wonder it was so humid.

He straightened up, moving to the pantry and shutting the door. Then he picked up the tea mugs and headed toward the steps.

They had some serious planning to do.

Though his knee felt considerably better from being bandaged, Naruto was equally careful climbing back up to the second floor; he didn't want to spill the tea. Sasuke was sitting calmly right where he'd left him, though his red eyes were studying the map. _'What does he still need the Sharingan for?'_ Shrugging it off, Naruto knelt down on his good knee, and passed Sasuke one of the mugs.

Sasuke looked up as his hand closed around the ceramic; their fingers touched briefly as Sasuke accepted the weight of the beverage and brought it to his lips. Naruto watched his teammate swallow and then he set his own mug next to the engraved map, untouched.

He quirked his mouth in a smile, getting comfortable for the rest of their session. His voice showed a touch of eagerness, "Now, where were we?"

* * *

--

* * *

Nothing was more boring than bragging.

Especially when it was a Feudal Lord bragging about his racing studs and their purebred offspring. It was all Kakashi could do to keep his tensai mind's attention on such banal conversation; the dinner dishes had long been cleared away and the general mood in the room was one of lazy self-centeredness and pomp.

Of course, like every group of people, there were always one or two individuals in the ranks who just reeked of trouble. Kakashi had noticed Lords Shimoda and Osada at registration, muttering to each other and eyeing the double doors with something akin to trepidation while being forced to wait like everyone else. Their behavior was equally suspicious here, seated primly as they were in their fancy robes, not deigning to converse whatsoever. They did exchange several looks; Kakashi would keep a close eye on them.

The Daimyo sat at the front of the room, as to be expected. His two guards stood imposingly behind him, armed with Katana and dressed in the Shijimi colors like Hisagi–black and gold. Fujimiya, Kakashi noted, sat next to the Daimyo at table, his Katana resting on the floor beside him.

While the other guards had spoken not a word, Fujimiya had revealed himself to be a close advisor in addition to head of security. The man conversed easily on a wide range of topics, and the rest of the Lords, if they didn't quite treat him as an accepted part of the group, were indulgent of both his presence and opinions.

Three of the wealthier Lords had guards with them as well, but the rest simply had their attendants or aides as escorts. The Inn would be safe enough, nestled in a hidden village of ninjas. Unless of course there were the makings of a civil war between the men seated here, but Kakashi would have heard as much either from his own sources, or the Hokage if that was the case. It wasn't like she didn't know what went on just about everywhere.

Most of the samurai employed by the Lords would be out guarding the makeshift stables; that would logically be their first concern. While these men got along politically, insofar as that was possible, there would not be much to stop them from going after each other's stock either in sabotage, or theft, or illegal breeding. It was amusing they hadn't hired more _ninja_–if any–considering where they were. All he'd seen so far were groups of Samurai.

With a more noticeable shifting in the atmosphere that preceded rain, the leader of Fire Country decided to get down to business.

"Gentlemen," the Daimyo cleared his throat.

All conversation stopped, though there were still some low murmurs coursing through the room. One of the lesser Lords began to fan himself against the increasingly sticky air. Anticipating a lengthy discussion, Kakashi slipped the edge of his mask down so he could chew and swallow a tasteless ration bar. It wouldn't do for his hungry stomach to give him away.

"Tomorrow is a very exciting day–one we've all been waiting for, and for more than one reason." There were excited murmurs in response to this, and the Daimyo flashed a wide grin across his rotund face.

"The esteemed Tsunade-sama has given us the use of the stadium to have our Show. We are here, of course, to exhibit and trade our finest racehorses in all the country–I know I'm not alone in wanting to breed a line that will finally beat those wretched animals in Wind Country!" His voice grew quite loud, and moved the rest of the Lords to shout their agreement.

Shijimi-dono laughed, holding up a hand to rein them back in. "Now, in regards to the main event of Konoha's festival, I will extend some rules here that will make it more… _exciting_."

Kakashi watched Lord Shimoda meet the beady eyes of Lord Osada from where they were sitting.

The Daimyo continued, "As you know, each of us will be permitted to submit a single one of our finest and fastest specimens for the event, ten in total–"

"–Are you not including the Princess? Shijimi-dono?" Lord Nishimoto continued to fan himself as he interrupted, bowing his head to make up for the impoliteness. "I know she has several magnificent steeds here with her."

"If I may," Fujimiya bowed to the Daimyo, who nodded once; his face was taut from the very mention of his daughter. "The Princess has expressed no desire to participate in this aspect of the competition. She will, of course, have her stable represented at tomorrow's Show, and has made arrangements accordingly."

There were nods as well as the shaking of heads at this news. Kakashi didn't know enough about the Lords' respective stables to hazard a guess as to what any of the reactions meant. The Daimyo cleared his throat abruptly and continued.

"Out of the ten racehorses submitted to the Hokage, only two will be chosen. Therefore, to make things more interesting, I'd like to arrange it so that the owners of those two horses will get opening bids on the horse of their choice at the next day's Post-Race Auction."

He smiled, watching the appreciative murmurs that accompanied the rule; all of them must think they had a good chance at winning the privilege.

"Now," the Daimyo paused to drink the Sake in his cup, "We will have many opportunities to wager on this ninja competition as the different stages unfold. I, for one, am impressed with how Tsunade-sama has arranged things–for a_ female ninja_ that is!"

Kakashi rolled his eye as the room full of men had their little joke; either he was going to grind his teeth down to nubs from irritation, or fall asleep from the boredom of it all. It was ironic that the missions that _didn't_ put his life in jeopardy were usually the most stressful.

He perked up at the tiny beep that only he could hear, and reached his fingers quickly to his earpiece as the clone gave him an update.

_"The performance has been cancelled, due to the approaching inclement weather. The Princess is on her way back to the Inn. Her guard questioned several locals while waiting or her to change back out of costume. His questions are unknown at this time."_

Kakashi signed off communications for the time-being, until Tomoko and company had returned to the building. He frowned. Something was definitely going on, the Princess at the heart of it, and he didn't feel good about what it could mean. He flicked his eyes in the direction of a man's hesitant cough. Evidently he wasn't the only one who felt uneasy.

"If I may express some concern, Shijimi-dono."

This Lord, Tashima from the Southernmost province of the Country, kept his head bowed until the Daimyo addressed him.

"I'm sure there is no reason for concern," the Daimyo replied, fighting the tightness in his voice, "But please, let us clear the air. We are all friends here."

Kakashi knew from the tension in the room that this was far from true, while also not quite a lie.

"Thank you," Lord Tashima raised his head, his long hair falling unbraided down the back of his green and gold robes. "Forgive the change in topics, but it seems that the Princess has taken an… _interest_… in one of the competitors. Can we assume that any wagering on that person will be… _unappreciated_… to your honorable family?"

"My daughter is young and impetuous," The Daimyo answered sternly, waving away the idea with an impatient hand. "Disregard her girlish behavior. I assure you, my family has no claims on any of the competitors, and you may wager on whomever you choose, Tashima-san."

The Daimyo seemed annoyed, ready to get off the subject of his daughter and her earlier display in the Hokage tower conference room.

"I will not stop anyone from betting as they see fit. However…" he met the eyes of each of the Lords, Fujimiya moving a hand to rest on the hilt of his Katana in an unspoken warning in tandem with his patron's actions.

"I will not tolerate anyone taking matters into their own hands. I have already dispatched my insurance that the Uchiha will compete as planned. He is now under my protection."

The Daimyo milked the sudden silence, gesturing to the servant nearby to pour him some Sake. He drank it, slowly and elegantly, and set the tiny cup down on the table with a clatter.

"Besides, I'm sure this Scavenger Hunt would be awfully dull,without a Ninja from one of Konoha's most unique bloodlines to entertain us."

Kakashi was probably the only one aside from Fujimiya and the Daimyo's guards that didn't jump at the sudden thunderclap. The noise was muffled by the walls of the Inn, but was still impressive enough to inspire a wave of panicked gasps. Kakashi watched everyone's nervous twitches without amusement.

These people obviously had no respect at all for the shinobi that policed their lands and supported their rule over Fire Country. He couldn't imagine how Tsunade could stand to deal with them on a consistent basis. Didn't they understand how precarious their status and lifestyle were? In one snap of her fingers, Tsunade could crown herself ruler of Fire Country with little to no loss. He shook his head, crouched silently between ceiling and floor beams.

"I've always thought–" the Daimyo indicated to his servant to pour him some more Sake, regaining control of the conversation with the skill of an old politician, "–The best races are the ones with several stallions. Lord Iwase, is it true you brought the animal of yours that you claim can beat Lord Nishimoto's blood-bay?"

Lord Nishimoto laughed, taunting the rest of them in good spirits, "Ah, but Tougarashi has never been beaten in my province. I doubt he'll lose here!"

Lord Iwase responded accordingly, sitting a bit taller on his plush cushion. "Obviously you haven't been informed of my horse's latest timed lap. Kyoran will run circles around Tougarashi in the scheduled race, mark my words." He ended with an amused smirk, nodding back at Lord Nishimoto with gentlemanly decorum.

The Daimyo drank his Sake, pleased that his Lords were following his preferred topic of conversation as they wound down the hours of the evening with more bragging about the size and speed of their stock. Kakashi yawned, absently keeping track of who boasted about what horse, slipping his mask back up over his mouth. Maybe when everyone was asleep he could raid the kitchens for some real food.

It seemed to go on forever, until a Shijimi servant entered the room, bowing to the Daimyo and whispering a message. At the same time, Kakashi heard the telltale beep from his clone that meant the Princess would be arriving shortly. Lord Shijimi gave the messenger further instructions, and the servant bowed again and backed out of the banquet room. The Daimyo had a brief exchange with Fujimiya before clearing his throat.

"The hour has grown quite late. Let us adjourn for the evening; tomorrow is a very busy day, and we will all need our rest."

Kakashi instructed the clone to follow Lords Shimoda and Osada to their rooms as soon as he arrived, and report if they discussed anything of interest. He'd take over watching the Princess and Daimyo together from here.

Just then, Tomoko entered the room in a rain-splattered cloak, Hisagi and several escort attendants behind her. Kakashi could see her jaw tighten when she saw the room was full–she'd clearly been expecting to face her father on his own. She knelt and bowed gracefully anyhow, her long brown ponytail cascading over her shoulder and brushing the floor in her obeisance. Hisagi and the rest of the staff knelt behind her, completing the show of submission that had been her father's intention.

With a gloating smirk, the Daimyo waved a hand of dismissal to the group of Lords, who rose sporadically and exited the room with a wide range of expressions as they glanced at Tomoko's bowing form, nodding their polite farewell to the Daimyo before passing through the doors. Kakashi was impressed that the girl somehow made her position into an insult anyways; there was clearly no love lost between these two.

Once they were alone, or as alone as royalty could ever be with guards and advisors everywhere they turned, the Daimyo sipped more Sake in a cruel delaying tactic before he addressed his only heir.

"Ah, daughter. How I'd hoped that by now you'd have learned the true meaning of obedience." He chuckled sarcastically, glancing at Fujimiya who wasn't hiding his smirk.

Tomoko lifted her head at her father's acknowledgement, kneeling on the tatami mats and looking every bit the Princess despite having ridden through the first torrents of rainfall.

"I don't need to tell you what the law of Fire Country states, father. I obey the law unquestioningly."

The Daimyo sneered, "Yes, _the law_. I should never have allowed a daughter of mine to learn to read."

Tomoko laughed, "And you think you could have stopped me?"

"There's no law that prevents me from locking you up, Tomoko," The Daimyo's face was getting purple with aggravation. Fujimiya wasn't too happy with the conversation either, his hands had made fists on his thighs where he knelt next to his leader. "You should be glad of the freedoms you have."

Tomoko smirked at her sire, nonplussed. She spread her hands, "And how would my imprisonment help you, father? The people of Fire Country enjoy seeing their Princess travel and perform. They see you to be a fair and equitable parent and leader because of it." She paused, her voice steeling under her father's glare. "Like it or not, I'm your heir, and you cannot force me to marry. The law permits me my choice of husbands, and I've made it."

The Daimyo's shout was adamant, "You will NOT marry one of _them_!"

Tomoko raised one eyebrow at his outburst, folding her hands calmly in her lap. "If you will not agree to my request, then you leave me no choice father. Are you willing to consider what I've asked?"

"You are a _Princess_ of Fire Country, Tomoko!" The Daimyo shrugged off the hand Fujimiya had placed on his shoulder to help calm him down. "No daughter of mine will wed a Ninja–I'll not allow it."

Tomoko remained calm, playing her father expertly. "Uchiha Sasuke is practically _royalty_, the heir to the noblest of Shinobi clans. I should think you'd be pleased by my choice."

"There's no such thing as a noble Shinobi, Tomoko, they are soldiers who do whatever we pay them to do, tools we use to rule the land!" The Daimyo slammed his fist on his food table, spilling the bottle of Sake over the far side. His servants scurried over to correct the mess, but his eyes never left his daughter's face.

She looked him squarely in the eye, "And that is where we will always disagree."

The tension in the room was thick; even Kakashi could feel it. After two whole minutes of silence, the guards and attendants as still as the grave, Tomoko aimed to wound.

"While the law protects my choice, I have graciously offered one to you. You will have to decide whether it's worth a Shinobi as your successor to deny my request. Should you instead agree–I would of course reconsider my options for a more suitable husband. There is nothing more to say."

The Daimyo was furious, barely containing the rage that Kakashi could tell was bubbling under the surface of his twisted face. Unlike his daughter, Lord Shijimi seemed to have little control over concealing his emotions on certain topics.

"Get out of my sight," The man seethed, unable to even look at her for a moment. "I have nothing more to say to you."

"Goodnight, then, father." Tomoko bowed her head once more, her father's gruff voice halting her from rising.

"Hisagi!" he barked at the guard, who bowed instantly, pressing his knuckles into the mats. Tomoko raised her eyes enough to see her father's face, smirking at her like he had just thought of something evil.

"You will see to it that the Princess remains in her chambers tonight. If she so much as steps outside her door, you are to chop off her foot. And if anyone tries to get inside, I expect their head to be hung in this very hall. _Understood_?"

Hisagi didn't hesitate, "Yes! Shijimi-dono!"

"Take her away," The Daimyo gestured with distaste. "The sight of her sickens me."

Hisagi grunted in acquiescence, and Tomoko rose in a liquid motion to her feet, facing her father's disdain with aplomb. She was very good at knowing when to speak, and when to be silent. Whatever the underlying issue of their quarrel, Kakashi could see she was the clear victor.

Her attendants preceded her out of the banquet hall, Hisagi taking up the rear and ushering her past the doors. As Kakashi crawled along the ceiling in silent pursuit, he could hear Fujimiya speak up.

"Excellent decision, Oyabun," the man tried to soothe the Daimyo's ruffled feathers. "Hisagi is good, my best swordsman, and completely trustworthy–he'll make Captain soon. He somehow keeps the Princess in line; she's never once escaped when he's been on duty."

"Tch," the Daimyo snapped his fingers at his food servant, and held up his empty Sake cup. The servant procured a fresh bottle and hurried to pour. Lord Shijimi tossed it back immediately, wiping his lips with his hand. "That little _bitch_!"

Fujimiya scratched again at his own temple, chuckling. "No need to worry now. I sent Kotsubaki and Sentarou after the Uchiha. They're from the first squadron; he'll not be able try anything. And with Hisagi guarding Tomoko-hime instead of taking his regular night off? Things will all work out in your favor, Oyabun."

Kakashi furrowed his brows as he slipped between the wooden beams. Once back in the laundry, he conjured another clone, and sent it to watch over the Daimyo. Then he henge'd into a bumbling, drunken festival-goer, splashing water on himself to make it look like he'd been soaked by the rain which was now coming down quite steadily outside. He could hear the echoes of it clearly from the stairwell.

Tomoko's party climbed on in silence, and Kakashi kept up his lurching and giggling for the benefit of the other patrons; he obviously couldn't let his target hear him follow all the way to the top floor. Once he could go no farther in disguise, he went invisible and crept along the wall a safe distance behind the group of five. He didn't want to use up too much chakra if he could help it–he still had another day of this, and then the _Hunt_. Lord only knew when he'd sleep.

On the fifth floor, the two extra attendants bowed and retreated to their quarters in the main hall. The Princess nodded her acknowledgement, but continued briskly to the short corridor where her suite was located. If her father was really so worried about her sneaking out, Kakashi had to question the sense of putting her in a suite where her door wasn't immediately visible.

Thank God he didn't have children–Kakashi couldn't imagine what it must be like to worry and fight with them like this, or even close to this. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were _quite enough_.

Almost exactly as before, Tomoko stopped a short distance from her door, speaking to her bodyguard but not looking at him at all.

"Did you get it?"

Hisagi waited a moment before answering, parroting his previous answer. "I protect and serve."

She made no reply, save for rapping sharply on her door and brushing past the old woman Ayame when she'd opened it. The handmaiden ducked into the chambers almost unnoticed, and Ayame raised a brow at Hisagi. Kakashi couldn't see his face, but whatever was on it made Ayame press her lips together. With a sigh, she closed the door, the guard taking his original position in front of the door, crossing his arms.

Before Kakashi had completed the seals that would allow him to melt through the wall into the Princess's suite, he caught sense of a familiar presence coming up the stairs. Retreating quickly and invisibly back to the third floor, Kakashi slumped against the wall with a drunken smile on an illusionary face, and met the squished mug of his smallest canine companion.

Pakkun sat down by his sprawled feet, lolling his tongue and making a puddle, and Kakashi giggled like an intoxicated fool and rubbed behind his wet ears while several patrons passed. Once they were alone, he stopped the absurd act, and Pakkun closed his jaws and regarded him with intense eyes.

"Yo."

Kakashi raised a brow, his stomach sinking at the grim expression on the dog's face. He opened his mouth to reply, and heard the beeping in his earpiece from one of the clones.

_Lords Shimoda and Osada have retired to their separate rooms, alone. They are meeting someone tomorrow at noon near the Stadium. Intended target and purpose of meeting as of yet unknown."_

Kakashi instructed the clone to wait on that floor, to see if any of the Lords tried to meet each other, or leave the Inn. Kakashi sighed, turning his attention back to his dog. He needed to get back to the Princess, but he also wanted to know what had happened with Sasuke.

He stood up, glad that nobody else seemed to be stumbling into the Inn from the pouring rain, and that the Inn's attendants were busy elsewhere. He picked the dog up and tucked him under his arm, dashing invisibly to the window at the end of the hall. He climbed out into the downpour, running up the side of the building in-between the windows. He gauged where the Princess' suite was located, and used his chakra tracer to check for inhabitants in the room next door. Finding no one, he jimmied the lock on the window with a kunai and tossed Pakkun inside, following soon after and shoving the window closed.

He was now completely _wet_.

Kakashi moved directly to the adjoining wall and pressed his ear to it, listening for the sounds of the Princess talking while he used the chakra tracer to detect where each of the three ladies were. He heard nothing, except what sounded like someone making tea–that would be Ayame, with the handmaiden close by. Tomoko was in her bedchamber. Kakashi straightened up and leaned against the wall instead, senses alert for any further noises.

Pakkun shook himself from snout to rump, spraying water all over the empty bedroom. Kakashi took in the traveling bags, and the several other signs that someone was staying there; this must be where Ayame and the handmaiden slept. He folded his arms across his body, bracing himself for the dog's report, the mood somber.

"You have something to report on Sasuke."

"Hn," Pakkun regarded him wryly from floor level. "Do I_ ever_."

* * *

--

* * *

"I don't think that's what Tsunade meant by 'what you need to get in,' Naruto," Sasuke said again, his brows knit in a taut line over his bright red eyes.

"But it's the only thing that makes sense," Naruto tried to tell him once more, pointing to the Forest of Death. "Look, she said she'd be sectioning off part of the forest that we can't get into until we find Ibiki. And when we find him, he's supposed to give us something so we can get in, right? Well you need a key to get into the Forest of Death, so he's obviously going to give us a key!"

Sasuke only sighed, toying with his empty tea mug by turning it in circles on the tabletop. Naruto waited for him to say something. "There are too many flaws with that Naruto."

"What flaws?" Naruto sat up on his good knee, gesturing excitedly, "There's more gates than there are competitors, right? He'll have a key for each of us, and then we can match it to the right gate and go in!"

Sasuke wasn't looking at the map anymore, gazing off to the side as if he were looking far into the future, pondering a multitude of things that Naruto couldn't even comprehend. Instead of responding, Sasuke changed the subject.

"How many of those torches did you get from that idiot salesman? There was at least one."

"_Huh_?" Naruto sat back on his heel.

This is how it had been for the last hour, back and forth, discussing new ideas, discarding them, and all the while Sasuke sitting there with _those eyes_, working out a hundred different strategies at once.

Naruto sighed, trying not to get too annoyed. "Just one, I didn't buy any more. Why?"

Sasuke shrugged, turning the parchment pages towards him again and re-reading all the notes they'd added to the list and the outline since Naruto had brought the tea. It felt like it had been ages, and it also felt like they'd only been at it a short while. Naruto leaned forward and rested his nose gently on the top of his bent, bandaged knee, hiding his spreading grin.

This was fun! It was fun because they weren't going to _die_–they usually didn't get to take this much time with analysis. In the field, they had to be decisive, quick–move in and get out alive. And when Kakashi was there, _forget it_. He and Sasuke could talk in another language entirely. Naruto was resigned most of the time to be informed at the end of their deliberations when, where, and how often he could bash something up.

But this was different. He'd been thinking about this competition for days now, and obviously so had Sasuke. Fitting their ideas together was challenging in some ways, but so far he liked what they had come up with.

…At least the parts they had agreed on.

Sasuke shifted back to the page of names, still turning the tea mug absently. "Two Byakugan users…" he murmured to himself, and then looked up. "We've still got to figure out what you're going to carry the spheres in. With both of us collecting for you, they'll get bulky, not to mention heavy."

Naruto perked up, "Oh, I already have a plan for that."

Sasuke's eyes met his in a silent question, one brow rising in partial disbelief. Naruto felt a bit affronted.

"What? You think I can't figure something like that out on my own?" His voice was a bit harsher than he'd intended for it to come out.

Sasuke's brows both lowered, and after a moment he sighed, redirecting his attention to the parchment once more, though Naruto was sure he'd been about to insult him. Naruto tightened his lips together. He really didn't want to fight anymore. After a moment, he asked a question to make up for his short temper.

"Hey, Sasuke." Naruto watched his teammate lean his forehead into his hand as he read.

"Hmm." Sasuke didn't look up, switching back to their outline and checking something Naruto couldn't begin to guess. He swatted a mosquito on his arm.

"What's with that jar on the counter downstairs? The label says ABURAME, did you get it from Shino?"

Sasuke glanced at him, paused, and then sat up. He crossed his fingers in front of his face, and Naruto waited expectantly for him to say something. The soft light of the sconces made the room a bit eerie from the darkness that had closed in outside.

"Did you open it? Notice anything unusual about it?"

Naruto frowned, "Er… no… Was I supposed to?"

Sasuke shrugged, "I was curious what you made of it."

"I thought it was an ointment at first, but it didn't fit in the medical kit." Naruto shrugged. "I figured you'd know what it was since it was on the counter."

Sasuke inclined his head, deep in thought. "I found that jar earlier today, but I don't know what it has inside it yet, and I don't know if it was made by Shino's clan. It might be useful, it might not… I'm going to test it tomorrow. It was something of Itachi's, so I'd expect it to be useful but…" Naruto watched him rub his temple, then tuck some of his hair back behind his ear. "We'll see."

They sat in silence for a minute, and Naruto became aware for the first time how tired Sasuke looked. His brows had been creased since they'd started planning, and the nervous turning of the tea mug didn't seem to fit his usual cool demeanor. The air felt thicker than ever; it was going to rain, and soon.

"Hey," Naruto adjusted his position a bit. "We've got almost everything worked out. Why don't we call it a night?"

Sasuke's expression didn't change as he looked into Naruto's eyes, even when the booming thunderclap reverberated all through the house with a crack. Naruto couldn't help but glance back through the open door. The sudden silence afterwards made him want to laugh from the tension.

"Ha ha," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess we should consider what to do if it's still raining tomorrow night, too."

"Hn," Sasuke remarked, setting aside their notes and passing over his empty tea mug so that he could replace the cover over the map. Naruto picked up his own mug and got to his feet, his muscles cramped from all the kneeling.

"It's obvious that the rain will end by morning," his teammate commented, moving around the table and gesturing for Naruto to precede him through the door.

Naruto did, choosing to disregard Sasuke's imperious tone as he descended the steps, hearing the first splashes of raindrops on the windows in the kitchen below. Although the house was mostly dark, Naruto moved past the island and put the mugs into the sink without knocking anything over, and joined Sasuke in the entryway. He began slipping his toes into his sandals in preparation for leaving. Though the shadows had consumed everything around them in variables of gray, Naruto could still see the red tint to Sasuke's eyes as he watched him from his spot on the wall, arms crossed.

Naruto wiggled his foot to get his heel in place, and then unhooked his jacket from the rack, all set to go. They stood there, silent save for the soft pings of the rain.

"Before I release the barrier, let's make sure we both understand what's happening tomorrow." Sasuke stood away from the wall, rubbing his temples again.

Naruto nodded, "I'll come back first thing, and we'll go over the moves we talked about and finalize the plan. And then we'll leave for the Hunt from here."

"Right," Sasuke looked towards the door, frowned, and then their eyes met once more. "Bring all the weapons you want to use, and your combat gear, the things you're the most used to fighting with. And I want to see all the explosives you got from that salesman; there might be something in there that we could use."

"Okay," Naruto agreed.

It seemed simple enough if you left out all the emotional stuff. Like the fact that he was going home to sleep, instead of upstairs. In one short afternoon so much had changed. But it didn't feel right to stay… and Sasuke hadn't asked him to, in the first place.

When he was satisfied he'd left nothing out of his instructions, Sasuke moved to the door and knelt. Naruto could see the faint tremor in his teammate's shoulders as he made the seals and released the jutsu, and Naruto's ears popped from the sudden absence of the barrier. Sasuke kept his hands on the door for a moment, and then stood, opening the wooden panel with a soft creak.

Naruto moved up to the doorway, wondering what it was he wanted to say before he left, when he sensed movement not too far away from the house. Sasuke's head snapped up, and they both automatically flattened on either side of the doorway as they looked into the night. Naruto's hand dove into his kunai holster, but found nothing there with which to arm himself.

"Two," he commented, glancing at his rival with a furrowed brow. The intruders hardly had any chakra signature to speak of. "Ninja?"

"I don't think so," Sasuke shook his head. "Not strong enough."

"I'll check it out," Naruto said, creating a clone and sending it quickly out into the darkness before Sasuke could protest. Sasuke scowled, but refrained from comment.

Naruto pursed his lips, but took advantage of the waiting period to ask, "So it's a two-way barrier then, since we couldn't sense anyone out there while it was up?"

Sasuke tightened his mouth, then looked away from him, "No one can cross it, either way. If I were alone, I'd have left it up all night and dealt with anyone out there tomorrow when it was light."

"I see." Naruto turned back to the open doorway, seeing his clone dart back across the courtyard and into the house, ready to report.

The clone was panting from the sprint. "Two men, armed with Katana. Scouts. Easily avoidable. They've stationed themselves undercover in the main street. It's dark, but they seem to be wearing black and gold."

Naruto clenched his teeth. "Shijimi clan."

Sasuke met his eyes calmly as he said the words, and Naruto felt his fingers tighten into a fist. He patted the clone on the shoulder in thanks, and then released the jutsu with a puff of smoke, once again alone with Sasuke in the dark entryway.

"Are they guarding you?" Naruto broke the silence, "Or are they waiting to attack you when you leave?"

Sasuke's red eyes glared at him for a moment, and then he moved a step away from the wall. "I'm not going anywhere, Naruto. I have nothing to do with them _or _the Shijimi clan."

"I didn't ask that, Sasuke," Naruto kept his voice calm.

"Well I'm telling you again, in case you still think–" He cut himself off abruptly, and Naruto glanced away from the intensity behind the statement, even half-complete. Another minute of silence stretched taut between them.

"Can I ask you something, Sasuke?" He turned back to face his rival, adjusting his jacket to hang more comfortably over his left arm. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and waited for him to say what was on his mind.

"Why are you helping me?" He held his breath.

Sasuke seemed to relax a fraction, obviously expecting a different question, maybe one that was harder to answer. Naruto watched him, thinking of how much Sasuke had revealed during their planning, how much he'd been strategizing on his behalf, probably since they'd first talked about the Golden Kunai.

And the Ramen.

Sasuke met his eyes, finally. "We're teammates."

Naruto's heart squeezed tight with disappointment for a split second, but he didn't let it show on his face. After all, it was better than nothing, and it was what he'd asked for–the truth. He turned to go.

"And–"

Naruto halted, looking back over his shoulder, his heart speeding up in his chest from the anticipation. Sasuke cleared his throat, glancing down briefly, and then straightening up as they locked eyes again.

"–Because I want you to win."

Naruto felt a genuine grin spread across his face. At those words, the dark, moist night air held a comfort that had been missing, and he could see the corner of Sasuke's mouth curl in a slight smirk. It was just enough to change all his features back into the bored superiority that Naruto knew so well. The urge to go over to his rival and kiss that smirk from his lips was nearly unbearable, and Naruto grabbed onto the doorknob instead.

"Thanks, Sasuke," He said simply, turning enough to show his full grin before closing the door and darting off into the night.

Naruto evaded the two Samurai guards effortlessly, shaking his head, and before he knew it he'd crossed the village and was landing on his own balcony. He stood in front of his door before going inside, grateful to be out of the downpour. He looked out over his street, everything dripping and gray, the full moon shut out by the heavy, water-laden clouds.

"Sasuke," he whispered to himself, pushing his sodden hair out of his eyes, and then he turned to unlock the door.

He fumbled with his key before finally getting it right; his right arm was incredibly sore, and he was much more tired and worn out than he'd thought. In fact, he hadn't slept at all the night before. It was bound to have caught up with him at some point.

He disappeared inside the tiny, pitch black apartment, tossing his ruined jacket on top of the heap of comforter in the corner and going directly to his fridge. He took out the carton of milk and gulped directly from it, emptying it halfway. He gasped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and returning the carton to it's place, his belly full enough for him to get some sleep.

He stripped his wet clothing on the way to his small bed, not bothering to shower off the sweat, grime, or rain from his skin. Now that he was home, he only wanted to rest. He flopped onto his mattress, grabbing a fold of the blanket with his toes and passing it up to his hand so he could wrap himself up, comfortable and secure.

Naruto was surprised by the lingering scents from the night before, a tangle of his own smell and Sasuke's that mirrored how they'd curled up together before Sasuke had passed out, their limbs entwined while he'd held him and stroked his dark hair for hours. Naruto burrowed down into it, the memories vivid.

It could have been upsetting–but right then, it wasn't. Naruto tucked his blanket under his chin, and let the scents fuel his new goal.

As he drifted into slumber, he smiled against the sheets, determined to make even better memories than the ones recorded here.

* * *

--

* * *

"You were right," Pakkun paced back and forth in front of one of the twin beds, "Sasuke had me take him to Naruto."

"And then?" Kakashi prodded.

Pakkun stopped, looking up at him wryly. "You left out quite a bit, Kakashi," he chastised, "You didn't tell me this was a lover's quarrel, of a sort."

Kakashi's blue eye narrowed. "Tell me what you saw."

Pakkun sighed. "Sasuke and I followed Naruto's trail up to the top of the Hokage monument. We found trees blown to bits, and completely demolished rocks. Sasuke was shaken up by it, especially when we found Naruto's vomit."

The dog began to pace again, and Kakashi clenched his teeth. He knew Naruto wouldn't take it well that Sasuke was challenging them all in the Hunt unexpectedly. Not to mention the bit with the Princess. He could sympathize–if anyone ever touched Iruka they were dead. _Period_.

"From there, Naruto's trail led us to Sasuke's house. We found him standing in the yard, and he challenged Sasuke to a fight." Pakkun stopped pacing once more, glaring, "Remind me to bite the Kyuubi-brat for throwing a shuriken at me. That_ jackass_!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, but waited for Pakkun to continue, feeling grim. Challenging Sasuke was typical Naruto. It was never good when those two fought, especially when their emotions were so out of control. And of course neither of them would heed Tsunade's rule–not in this situation.

"Sasuke sent me away, but I was able to watch their fight undetected because of the chaos. They've grown impressively, Kakashi, though you'll be glad to know they didn't resort to their most powerful jutsus. Still, it wasn't fun to watch them."

"Could anyone else have seen them fight? They could get disqualified if it was reported."

Kakashi really wanted to ask if they were okay; he knew their skills, and while he hoped they'd have the sense to not kill each other, they could very well be seriously injured. It wasn't a good strategy before a major competition, and he wished he'd been there in case someone had had to stop them.

"I didn't sense anyone while they fought. It was a strange one, Kakashi. Sasuke did try to reason with him in the beginning, but Naruto was adamant. He said that Sasuke would acknowledge him, and also something about Sasuke's clan, how Sasuke had started the fight by choosing someone who could revive it. Anything you'd like to share with me, Kakashi?"

Kakashi watched his dog looking up at him expectantly, and sighed. "Princess Tomoko made a move on Sasuke at registration. It looked like they'd kissed, and not just a small kiss either. Sasuke actually held her off, but Naruto must have been fooled like everyone else, and clearly didn't take it well since they've recently started er…" Kakashi hesitated, "Let's just call it dating."

"Hmmm," Pakkun raised an interested eyebrow. "Then I really was smelling lust on them. It's never been that strong before. You should have told me they were mates, Kakashi."

"Perhaps I wanted to see if you'd pick up on it," Kakashi teased, without humor.

Pakkun glared. "It would have been hard to miss. The fight almost turned into mating, but the Kyuubi-brat checked himself before anything happened. He's strong, that one–I could smell the lust on the Uchiha from all the way across the yard."

Kakashi nodded, relieved that it hadn't gone that far–sex in anger could destroy two people worse than many other things. He was more than a little worried about what all this meant for their next missions.

"Anything else?"

Pakkun nodded, "After the fight, they both went inside. They'd called a truce of some kind, and Naruto asked about a plan. Then Sasuke put up some kind of barrier–I couldn't cross it anywhere, so I don't know what happened inside."

Kakashi cocked his head in interest. _'That's gotta be something of Itachi's.'_ The next time he visited, he'd take a closer look at it. For academic purposes only, of course.

Pakkun continued, "There must have been a genjutsu in the barrier as well, though it was ineffective on me–there were two Samurai skulking through the streets before full dark. I suppose they were looking for Sasuke's house, but they passed right by like it wasn't even there."

Kakashi nodded at the pug, "That would be the Daimyo's 'insurance.' He thinks two swordsmen can keep Sasuke from trying to visit the Princess during the night."

"Hn," Pakkun chuckled, baring his teeth in a ribald grin. "You mean it isn't obvious that Uchiha Sasuke wasn't made for women?"

Kakashi chuckled, smirking beneath his damp mask at the Pug's dripping sarcasm. He wiped a trickle of water from his exposed cheek, shaking his wet hair further back from his face to drip somewhere else. It was senseless to have Samurai out there in the rain, when they could be doing something much more productive.

"So they didn't find him. Good."

Pakkun made what counted for a shrug. "I stuck around until Naruto left. He and Sasuke talked by the door, and then he took off. Sasuke looked like he was about to fall asleep, certainly not about to go anywhere, so I tailed Naruto all the way to his apartment. I didn't smell sex on him, only a bit of ointment. And fox, of course. Nothing unusual."

"Hmmm." Kakashi was quiet for a moment, processing all the information.

There were several things to be glad about, but he also had some concerns. What had they done in Sasuke's house for the whole evening? If Pakkun had been truthful about the intensity of their fight and Naruto's destruction above the monument–and they'd have to have a talk about _that_ later on–then what would make them hole-up in the house for the evening if it weren't for make-up sex?

"Did they say anything else? You said Sasuke tried to reason with him…" Kakashi watched his dog steadily, listening to the sounds of Ayame in the next room, offering the princess some tea amid the steady sound of raindrops.

"He only said that he had a plan, something about teamwork, which Naruto didn't believe. Sasuke insisted more than once that he was telling the truth. And he asked Naruto if he'd ever met Itachi, right before they went inside. He was picking up the necklace that Naruto had ripped off in the fight. Naruto said he hadn't met him before, at least that he could remember. That's all, Kakashi. Anything important?"

Kakashi thought hard. "Tell me more about the necklace. Naruto ripped it off?"

The dog nodded grimly. "Yeah. The fight turned ugly after that, and the first thing Sasuke did when it was over was retrieve it."

"It was a gift from Itachi," Kakashi mentioned to himself, thinking. Pakkun's ears flattened even more against his head.

"I never liked _that one_ either," the Pug said vehemently.

Kakashi gave him a warning glare, "That's in the past now."

"Tch," Pakkun turned up his nose haughtily. "It was still unforgivable."

"In any case," Kakashi turned the subject quickly, touching the back of his neck for comfort. "I think we can infer that Sasuke intends to scare off some of Naruto's competition, therefore helping him to get to the final round. That must be the plan they were talking about."

"Teamwork, eh?" Pakkun sounded thoughtful.

"I'd suspected as much, from what Sasuke was wearing and also how he acted at registration." Kakashi agreed. "He'd probably expected to wear the necklace in the Hunt as well as registration, to further convince everyone else that he's just like Itachi. I'm not surprised he got angry that it was broken, especially since it had been a gift. He's always idolized Itachi."

Pakkun grunted, and Kakashi sighed.

"Good work, Pakkun. I was going to have you watch over the house, but it doesn't seem necessary. If Naruto could easily avoid two Samurai, there's nothing to worry about if they stake out the Uchiha district."

"Then if there's nothing else…?" Pakkun let the question hang, and Kakashi gave him the most genuine smile he could muster, cold and wet and hungry as he was.

"Thanks for the help, and take care," He waved his signature wave.

"Hn," the dog stood up on his short little legs. "And take care of yourself, too, while you're at it." Kakashi chuckled, and Pakkun disappeared in a bulbous cloud of smoke near floor level.

Kakashi leaned into the wall for a moment, his brain whirring through all the information that had poured into his brain over the afternoon and evening. Somewhere in all the tidbits, the plots of the Daimyo, Princess, Feudal Lords, and his students hid in the jumbled mess. And who knew what else he was liable to discover, before this was all said and done.

With gritted teeth, he flashed through the succession of hand seals that let him sink through the wall into the Princess' sitting room, where he could watch invisibly to see what she was up to. It was quiet; Ayame was reading by the light of a small lamp in the sitting room, and the handmaiden was mending what had to be one of Tomoko's costumes. The Princess was still shut inside her bedroom.

With any luck, everyone would be asleep soon, and he could get some food into his system. He'd always thought his brain worked better if his stomach was busy digesting.

If only he'd been able to eat with Iruka like they'd planned. Kakashi always missed the simpler comforts the most during a mission, especially when stuck in his home village where those things were tantalizingly _close_.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke leaned his forehead against the front door, listening to the sounds of the rain creating a symphony of percussion on every surface of the house.

"_Idiot_." Sasuke whispered, picturing his aggravating blond teammate.

Sighing heavily, he left the door to walk slowly up the stairs, his head throbbing worse than he'd ever felt it before. His brows were creased as far as they could go, though he wanted to crease them even more in anticipation of the moment he released the Sharingan. It wasn't going to be fun.

He'd already worked out how he could minimize the side effects, and once he got to his room he collected a change of clothes and some fresh towels, not turning on any lights. He drew himself a hot bath, and took the time to strip off his filthy, torn clothing, stepping into the glass shower and rinsing all the sweat and grime from his skin before getting down to business. He knew the layout of the house well enough that he could keep his eyes closed through all the preparations.

Sasuke felt remarkably better after getting clean, and he added some soothing oil to the steaming bath water that was ready to ease his cramped, sore muscles. Then he knelt on the cool tiles of the bathroom floor, a rolled-up towel ready. He took a deep breath, and finally allowed his eyes to shift back to their usual deep black, stunned by the sudden rush of pain that swept through his head.

He hunched over and brought the towel to his mouth, pride keeping him from _screaming _although he bit the folds of cloth hard enough to cramp his jaws. He could hardly breathe, and the second he'd tried to lean his head forward the pain had _tripled_, and that was more than he'd ever though was possible.

Sasuke concentrated on breathing, on keeping his eyelids shut tight, and on not passing out. He didn't actually retch, which was a good thing; he'd purposefully not eaten in case the pain was enough to make him nauseous. If it was this bad, he didn't want to know what would happen if he'd kept the Sharingan active for longer than the six hours he'd used it today.

As suddenly as it had pierced him, the pain ebbed away and Sasuke slumped forward onto the tiles in exhaustion. He kept his eyes closed, the cool ceramic a relief against his warm cheek. His clan was revered for this ability, he knew. But at times Sasuke wasn't sure it was something worth passing on.

Or maybe he was just tired and cranky, and hungry and confused.

With a sigh, Sasuke got up from the floor and retrieved the ration bar he'd placed on the marble countertop. He didn't have the energy to cook anything, much less taste anything, so the ration bar was ideal. He peeled the wrapper and began to eat as he crossed over to the oversized bathtub.

Sasuke sighed contentedly as he stepped in, first one foot, then the other, and then sinking into the warmth until only his head and the hand holding the bar were above the surface. He stretched out his legs, and rested his neck against the built-in headrest, moving only to take another bite of the nutrition-filled food supplement.

His thoughts started to drift to Naruto, and everything that happened that day, but the increasing tangles and knots of conflicting emotions frustrated him; Sasuke didn't feel up to picking the strands apart just then. He set the empty wrapper of his dinner on the edge of the tub and forced his mind to clear.

Naruto would come over tomorrow, they'd perfect their teamwork, and then they'd fight together in the Hunt. There was nothing more to worry about; anything else could wait. Still, the fact that he would be eighteen in one week held an importance that he'd never considered until now: he'd be of legal age to marry.

Except he only wanted one person, no matter how much of an idiot that person was.

Dunking his head underneath the hot bathwater helped to clear his mind, and he pushed all unwanted thoughts away along with his dripping black hair, keeping it out of his face and getting comfortable once more. To further protect himself, he repeated a phrase that had served him well in the past:

"A large amount of loud enemies is the friend of the Shinobi.  
Hide and remain silent.  
A Shinobi must understand the proper time when the enemy is tired and ill-prepared."

When his body was consumed by a passive, languid fatigue, Sasuke got out of the bath, and toweled himself dry, skipping the step of putting on pajamas and climbing into his large empty bed with nothing more than the desire for pure, uninterrupted sleep.

In the back of his mind, he was grateful that none of his bedding smelled like Naruto yet. It would be so much harder to sleep _alone _if it did.

* * *

--

* * *

The night was hushed, still.

Kakashi had temporarily released his invisibility, hidden as he was in the corner of the grand sitting room of the Princess's quarters. The open space was dark under the veil of steady, gentle rain and the late hour; the rest of the Inn was fast asleep, though he could hear Tomoko moving around in her bedchamber.

From the sounds, he guessed that she was restless. The noises didn't suggest training; much too arrhythmic. She was too self-confident to be the type to pace in anxiety. No, this seemed like something natural to her temperament–unwilling and unable to wait patiently for time to pass. Of course, this told him what he'd surmised was indeed correct: Tomoko had specific plans for the night, and at a specific time.

The clone on the floor below hadn't reported any activity from the Feudal Lords. The clone watching the Daimyo had informed him that after drinking a great deal of Sake with Fujimiya, the two men had retired, with little of interest by way of conversation and nothing Kakashi didn't already know. Both clones had been silent for nearly two hours.

Ayame had retired early, claiming a headache and giving Tomoko a knowing look as she'd bid goodnight to her patron, and the young girl had slipped away with the older woman, hardly breathing a word as she bowed, dismissed. Tomoko had shut her bedroom door soon after, and hadn't come out yet. Kakashi swallowed back a yawn. At least he'd dried off somewhat.

An hour past midnight, Kakashi instinctively went invisible, his blue eye instantly tuned to the Princess's door as she slid it open and then crept across the floor on silent bare feet. She'd changed into a silk robe, one that was probably a deep maroon though it was hard to be sure in the semi-light cast into the room from the fluttering festival lanterns outside the windows. Graceful and stealthy, she made her way to the front door, pressing her ear against it.

"Are you speaking to me yet?" she whispered, body tense as she awaited a response.

It came in two muffled taps against the wood.

A soft smile, one much more vulnerable than Kakashi had seen on her before, revealed a real woman instead of the cold and imperious daughter of a Daimyo. She turned the lever that unlocked the door with a tiny click, and stepped back several feet, her face settling into the saucy smirk that was her default expression.

Hisagi entered the darkened room and closed the door behind him, and Kakashi raised an eyebrow when the bodyguard turned the lever, locking them both in. The guard's face was unreadable as he stood opposite the Princess, everything about his stance and attire formal, even more so considering the Princess' silken-clad curves.

Somebody's father probably wouldn't be too happy about this meeting.

Tomoko walked slowly towards her guard, like she was memorizing his young, handsome features with hungry eyes, reaching a hand to his waist when they were only inches apart.

She let out a soft chuckle. "My father is a fool."

Slipping her other arm around his body, she raised her chin and lifted her heels from the floor, leaning into him slowly for a kiss. With hardly any effort–she hadn't been going for him as quickly as she had for Sasuke–Hisagi met her cheeks with his strong hands and kept her from completing the kiss in an odd parallel to the scene in the Hokage tower. His brows drew together in irritation as he held her several inches away, their eyes locking in sudden and thorough animosity.

Tomoko smacked his hands away with her dainty wrists, taking a small step back and glaring at him furiously. Hisagi didn't change his expression when returning his arms to his sides, and Kakashi saw the Princess bare her teeth right before her open palm made an imprint on the guard's jaw with a loud crack.

The noise sliced across the room. They stood there, equally furious and defiant. The Jounin suspected that Hisagi could have blocked her if he'd felt the necessity, and it said a lot that Tomoko had hit him anyway. She was the first to break the silence, careful even in her anger to keep the volume low.

"You knew from the beginning how it had to be, Hisagi. I will rule this Country, and I will do it better than my father. Whether you help me or not is your choice–but you can not change who I am. And I won't let you get in the way."

"No, you _won't_," he agreed with a sneer, "You'll play your games of intrigue while I stand in the wings, the ever-dutiful servant, the lackey that protects you as you crush other people's dreams in favor of your own!"

"You are forgetting the bigger picture!" She crossed her arms under her breasts, her long hair swishing behind her. "This is only one way to get what we want, and you know it's not my first choice! I know my father, and this will make him give in–there's _no_ danger that I'll have to go through with it."

"And if he doesn't?" Hisagi asked, taking a step towards her in ominous anger. Tomoko didn't flinch, but Kakashi could see her fingers making a tiny fist under her arm to steady herself.

"You'll really marry him, that _Uchiha Shinobi_?"

He'd said the words like they were dirty; Kakashi didn't miss how his hand automatically moved to the hilt of the Katana strapped to his hip.

"It's a small thing, considering what's at stake," she faced him marvelously, for all his intimidating advancement. "You and I agreed it was the best way to bait my father, considering all the talk about him and his brother. Don't get all high and mighty now!"

Hisagi scowled at her, reaching up to her arms and closing his strong hands around her. "You'd really let him touch you? _Princess_?"

She didn't answer him, only glared with her lips pressed tight together. Hisagi pulled her to him roughly and forced her head back from the fury of his kiss. She struggled against his arms, but she was obviously no match for him, both a man and a swordsman. After an interlude with her protesting all the while, Hisagi shoved her away from him.

"Tch," Tomoko chuckled though there was no mirth in it as she stumbled a few steps further into the sitting room, wiping her mouth.

Hisagi pulled his swords free of his sash in a quick movement and set them on something decorative before coming after her again. She could move quickly, Kakashi knew, but the guard was better trained in seize and capture. He twisted one of her arms behind her body and held her other wrist tight in his hand, pulling her once more against his chest.

"Do you think I could stand it, Tomoko? If he touched you?" he asked, forcing her other arm behind her back and securing them both. She glared at him as he trailed his free hand down her cheek and neck, over the edge of her collarbone.

"Would you have me watch, while he touched you here?" His fingers tugged open the edge of her robe and he fit his hand over the curve of her bare breast.

Tomoko scowled, meeting his eyes. She ceased her struggling, "What bothers you more, Kei? The idea of me with someone else? Or the fact that the famous Uchiha turned out to be raven haired and beautiful and _powerful_–maybe even _more_ powerful than you?"

Hisagi let go of her long enough to scoop her up in his arms, taking three strides across the room to the cushions there on the floor. He deposited the Princess on her back and ripped open the front of her robe, baring her naked body in the semi-darkness.

Kakashi could make out the words "You are only allowed to be with _me_" right before Hisagi kissed her again, fitting his body flush against hers.

This time, there was more passion and less cruelty in his kisses, and Tomoko reached her fingers into his black hair, accepting the advances. His hand slid down the side of her body, curving over her hip and then moving all the way back up to her tightened nipple.

Tomoko broke off the kiss, breathless, but clinging to her guard's broad shoulders, "I didn't kiss him, Kei."

The guard kissed her again, then spoke against her lips, "How can I believe that? I know what I saw…"

"Hn," Tomoko nibbled his bottom lip and then kissed him hard. "He's more like you than just in looks, Kei."

Kei pulled away from her so he could look at her face, his brows knit in his forehead in what must be _his _default expression. "Explain."

Tomoko chuckled, stroking the side of his face and jaw tenderly. "He wouldn't let me kiss him, though I had to make it look like we'd kissed, for the sake of father."

Hisagi scowled deeper, and the Princess' chuckle became more like a laugh. "When he stopped me, he said he belonged to someone else–isn't that exactly something you'd say? Hmmm?"

"It isn't something to laugh about, Tomoko," he stilled her hand on his jaw, and her face became serious. "I nearly went mad today, watching you with him."

"I know," she looked away from him. "I didn't want it to come to this, but father is stubborn." Hisagi didn't comment, but allowed her to resume her lazy caresses along his jaw. "We better hope father accedes, Kei. It may be harder than you think to get Uchiha Sasuke on our side; he's fiercely loyal to the girl he's with." Tomoko met his eyes, and he simply looked at her for a moment.

"I want to change this country, Tomoko. Just as much as you. But you can't ask me to stand by if you take a Shinobi to your bed. What is he, _seventeen_? He's barely even a man!"

"I never said I'd _bed_ him, Kei," Tomoko arched her neck so she could touch their lips together, shushing him. Her voice was serious, "I swear it; I'll only be with you. My perfect companion."

"As if I'd let you choose anyone else," Kei gave a ghost of a smile before kissing her again, this time slowly and thoroughly.

Kakashi kept still and silent, and looked away as they kissed and undressed, mending whatever had been broken between them from the actions of the day with lips and hands and physical sensation. Over the next hour, Hisagi proved himself to be kind and thoughtful lover despite his earlier roughness, one who knew exactly how to make a woman's body sing from the slightest caress.

It all made Kakashi long for Iruka.

Kakashi wondered how long this affair had been going on; it was obvious that they were more than familiar with this kind of intimacy. He also understood now that Ayame was in on the secret–Kakashi saw some of her earlier actions in a new light.

After a while, Kakashi redirected his attention back to the couple, curled up on the floor pillows in post-coital bliss. Kei pulled out the Princess's hair tie, and stroked his fingers through the deep brown strands, his face calmer than at any other time so far.

Tomoko watched him with a cheeky grin, which he ignored, or put up with. "Kei."

"Hmm," he replied, stroking his fingers all the way from her scalp down her back as far as he could reach.

"It won't be too long, you know. You already have the total confidence of Fujimiya and the rest of them. Two, three years at most."

Hisagi glanced at her, "_If _this gambit of yours works." There wasn't criticism in his tone.

"The games won't change, Kei. Not even when I've won the rule of the land, and you're the Daimyo at my side." She stilled his hand and pressed it against her cheek.

"I know." He agreed, stroking his thumb across her cheekbone. "But I still don't like the risks you take."

She pressed her lips into his palm, "That's why I have you." Hisagi chuckled, which made her smile. "And that's why I play many games at once–I choose to be more than one step ahead of my enemies."

She nestled closer to him, tucking her head under his chin. Kakashi sighed, wishing fervently that they would go to sleep so that he could go get some food in the kitchens. Or at least not have to hear their pillow-talk.

"So you were successful with your questioning?" Tomoko draped her leg across the guard's thighs, getting more comfortable. "You got the name of the man we go after tomorrow?"

"I did," Hisagi shifted underneath her to aid in her comfort. "It wasn't hard; with all the fuss of the Hunt people were glad to talk, and this man must be popular. I asked more than one person just to be sure we'd have the correct name."

"And?" She prodded.

"Umino Iruka."

Kakashi's heart stopped beating at the sound of his lover's name, all his senses instantly alert. What the hell?

"Hmm, I see." the Princess settled herself. "It'll be easier for us if he's well known. I look forward to it."

Hisagi nodded against her head, and wrapped his arms around her, staring at the ceiling.

Tomoko squeezed him tight, "Stay here until I fall asleep? I hate having to sleep without you, Kei."

"I protect and serve," he murmured, kissing her dark hair, and Kakashi saw Tomoko smile against his bare chest.

Once the Princess was asleep, Hisagi carried her into her bedchamber, and then took up his position out in the hall, his uniform and Katana in place once more with no sign of what had transpired. When it was obvious there would be no further interruptions, Kakashi left off the invisibility, standing in his corner of the empty sitting room and considering what he should do.

_What _could they want with Iruka?

His mission was to connect Feudal Lords, or those betting on the Hunt, with the Shinobi that were competing. Up to this point, he'd had evidence of sketchy behavior on both sides, but this was the first solid connection: The Princess was going to approach Iruka tomorrow.

While he didn't know exactly what the meeting was about, Tsunade would expect to be informed immediately, which could have many different consequences for Iruka including–although _unlikely_–disqualification from the Hunt.

Kakashi faced the same kinds of consequences if he didn't report _everything_ he learned to the Hokage.

If it were anyone else, he wouldn't be hesitating. Surely they couldn't intend to try to bribe Iruka to throw the Hunt, could they? It was preposterous. There's nothing they could offer Iruka that would persuade him to do that. Iruka was too honest, too candid, and too good of a person.

And yet… this would make him the one Shinobi that nobody would expect to double-cross them.

Kakashi sighed, moving silently to the windows and looking out into the rain drenched street. Why _Iruka_? It just didn't make sense. Kakashi could feel himself go cold with the same focus he used in assassination.

Maybe it was worth a little side-investigation. Kakashi couldn't tell Iruka anything about the mission, but he could try and glean some information from the Chuunin before handing his name to Tsunade. At the very least, he could make sure he was nearby when the Princess made her move, even though it wouldn't be to attack–she for one seemed to recognize what shinobi could do, and respected them.

Iruka was strong, no doubt. But Kakashi refused to let him become part of any twisted scheming. _Nobody_ messed with Iruka. Not if Sharingan Kakashi had anything to say about it.

Decision made, Kakashi walked silently up the wall to the ceiling, dislodging one of the tiles and flipping up into the supports. He replaced the ceiling tile without a noise, and stepped bent-over along the supports to the far wall, grateful to be on the top floor where there was a bit more room to move around. After conjuring yet another clone to take his place, Kakashi gathered enough chakra to merge through the wall and out into the rain, hanging onto the slippery outer surface with a chakra-powered grip.

Kakashi leapt off the wall of the Inn, and made his way quickly over the Konoha skyline, disregarding the uncomfortable weather conditions in the hope that he could divert whatever trouble was heading towards his lover.

Other than himself, anyways.

* * *

--

* * *

Iruka went completely still when he heard someone at his bedroom window.

He wasn't particularly alarmed; there was only one person who'd be coming into his bedroom this far into the night. But he wished he'd tossed and turned himself to face the other way before Kakashi dropped by, so that instead of the view of his dresser he could see why his lover was crouching in the window frame and letting the rain get all over the floor. Iruka frowned.

"I'm awake," he offered, hoping the Jounin wasn't thinking of leaving.

"I know."

Iruka frowned deeper. What was that strange edge to his voice? He quickly turned over underneath his blankets to see with his own eyes why his lover wasn't acting like himself, and bit his lip. Kakashi's hair dripped rain all down his masked face; his blue eye was keen, but expressionless as it met his own. Iruka saw the radio equipment and gasped.

"Kakashi! Aren't you on a mission?" He sat up quickly in alarm. What was Kakashi doing here?

"I am," the Jounin answered calmly, not moving a single muscle even as the rainstorm pelted his back and continued to soak his clothing, not to mention the floor.

Iruka didn't know what to say. He changed his position to sit more comfortably in the center of his bed, tucking the blankets around his legs against the cool air coming in from the window. He ran a nervous hand over his ponytail, wondering what was going on–but if Kakashi was willing to visit him during a mission, he wouldn't question it.

"Er… are you coming inside?" Iruka finally asked, since it seemed like a reasonable question that had a logical answer.

Wordlessly, Kakashi stepped over the sill and into the bedroom, closing the window behind him. He leaned his shoulder against the glass, the sound of the splashing raindrops a strange accompaniment as he continued to drip on the floor. They looked at each other for nearly a full minute before Iruka fidgeted.

"…Are you hungry?" When in doubt…

"_Yes_," Kakashi answered immediately, and Iruka was sincerely relieved to detect a very distinct emotion along with the words.

He smiled and scooted off the edge of the bed, straightening his boxers. He didn't approach the Copy-Ninja however, moving instead to retrieve his sleeveless undershirt from the chair where he'd tossed it before climbing into bed, pulling it over his head. He went out of the room towards the kitchen and was relieved that Kakashi made enough noise to let him know he was following.

The situation was odd, and not one they'd ever been in before. Iruka wondered if this strange, calm, silent Kakashi was really what Kakashi was like on missions; obviously they'd never been on one together. He seemed closed off, like his mind was somewhere else, and with that the case it didn't make sense for him to be _here_, in this apartment, following him into the kitchen.

The way Kakashi kept his distance reminded Iruka of Mozuku's comment at registration. He couldn't argue with it any more now than he could then.

He flicked on the light and went to the refrigerator, bending over to reach for a bowl of leftover rice. Kakashi flicked the light back off when he entered, and Iruka's brows drew together as he stood, turning to find the Jounin leaning against the counter, the light from the refrigerator an eerie glow. Iruka wasn't sorry when the door swung shut. Their eyes would adapt to the dark in moments.

Iruka spooned some rice into a smaller bowl, and passed it to Kakashi along with some chopsticks. Kakashi adjusted his radio equipment, and pulled down his mask, eating the cold rice immediately. Iruka watched for a moment, and then felt self-conscious; he wasn't really hungry, but it didn't make sense to sit at the table if Kakashi was going to stand. So he filled his teakettle with water for something to do.

Kakashi was just about through with the rice when the tea was ready, and Iruka didn't press him with questions as he passed the beverage over to him. Kakashi passed back his empty bowl, and Iruka dutifully filled it up. Kakashi sipped his tea, and ate more rice, and Iruka watched him avidly, trying to keep his curiosity in check.

Finally, when Kakashi had finished both rice and tea, refusing more helpings of each, he seemed to be ready to talk.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka watched him, slightly unnerved by such formal speech. "No problem."

He took the empty bowl and the tea mug, dumped the rest of his own tea out, and started to wash the dishes; he hated waking up to dishes in the sink.

He dropped the sponge when he felt Kakashi behind him, reaching a cool, gloved hand up his back under the shirt. He froze, not sure what to expect, or how to interpret the touch. Kakashi's hand slid steadily up his spine, gliding over the scar tissue between his shoulder blades.

"I was thinking about your scar," Kakashi commented. Iruka wondered if the Jounin understood how creepy that sounded.

"Oh?" he said, setting down the rice bowl in case he dropped it as well; his hands were soapy. And Kakashi was known to be unpredictable.

"You got it protecting someone precious to you," Kakashi broadened his strokes, moving his fingertips over the muscles around the scar as well.

Iruka chuckled dryly, "I did. And I would do it again."

'_Even if I had to face Mizuki_,' he thought.

"Because that's the kind of shinobi you are."

Iruka stiffened as the Jounin's body, cold with damp, came up flush behind him. He relaxed again when Kakashi nuzzled his head against his neck, and kissed the skin just underneath his hairline. Iruka let out the breath he'd been holding, aching to touch Kakashi back but not sure if he should.

He settled for saying, "I'd do that and more for you, Kakashi."

Kakashi said nothing, slipping an arm around Iruka's stomach and continuing to stroke the hardened scar-tissue on his back, standing close. Iruka allowed it–he didn't have much of a choice–even though he didn't understand what his lover wanted or needed.

He turned his head, meeting Kakashi's steel-gray eye. "What is it, Kakashi? What's bothering you?"

Kakashi backed away, moving the couple of feet between him and the kitchen table and leaning against it instead. He folded his arms across his flak-jacket, and his face returned to the unreadable mask that Iruka usually never saw. If the fabric mask was down, it was because they were laughing or kissing or talking or otherwise enjoying themselves. _Not like this_. Iruka rinsed his hands off and dried them on the dishtowel, biting his lip.

"Kakashi… what can I do for you? What do you need?" Iruka took a step forward in frustration, gently touching the Jounin's arm, "You've never come here during a mission before, and I don't know what to do. I know you can't tell me anything, and I'm not asking. But I want to help you, if there's something–"

"–God I love you, Iruka," Kakashi murmured, closing the small distance in a flash of speed to crush their mouths together in sudden and immediate passion.

"_Mmphfn_!" Iruka exclaimed in surprise, but didn't need much persuading as Kakashi's capable hands clutched him in what felt like desperate need. Careful of the wires strapped at his neck and ear, Iruka held on tight as Kakashi kissed him as if they'd been apart for two months straight.

Kakashi grabbed onto his ass and turned them around, pushing him up onto the surface of the table. Iruka moaned, wrapping his heels and calves around the back of the Jounin's thighs and scowling at the feel of wet, rough fabric. If this is what Kakashi needed however, who was he to complain? It was a small thing to endure in order to ease whatever burden his lover was carrying.

Kakashi pushed him back on the table, kissing him while he unzipped his flak-jacket and shrugged out of it. Iruka helped, slipping his fingers underneath and helping to toss it to the floor, party distracted by the significant weight of it. But he could ask another time.

Once free of the vest, Kakashi worked on removing Iruka's shirt, kissing down the side of his neck as he pushed up the thin cotton. He timed it so he didn't miss any skin as his kisses crept downward to Iruka's nipple, biting and teasing and making the Chuunin squirm while the shirt made it's way up to Iruka's neck. Iruka gasped, pulling the shirt over his head, and giving himself over to the sensations.

Iruka touched Kakashi's wet hair, watching his progress as he kissed and licked and dripped a moist trail down his naked torso. When he got to the waistband of his boxers, Kakashi stepped back and Iruka moved his legs to aid in the removal of his clothing. Casting the underwear aside, Kakashi leaned forward again and drove his tongue into Iruka's mouth, fitting a gloved fist around the Chuunin's exposed erection.

Iruka arched his back, groaning into the kiss and twisting both hands in the fabric of Kakashi's shirt. He tugged on it, pulling it up far enough to reach some of the Jounin's skin. Kakashi's back was scarred in far more places, but it felt so much warmer than the parts of him that were still clothed. As if reading his mind, Kakashi began to undo the button and zipper of his fly.

Iruka used his feet to help push down Kakashi's pants; only a small part of his brain registered that his lover was _commando_ through the shuddering pleasure of their newly naked groins grinding together. He moaned again, rocking his hips in time with the Jounin's and sucking on his tongue, hearing a similar moan vibrate through their kissing. Iruka moved with him when Kakashi stood, wrapping his legs more securely around his lover's waist as Kakashi in turn made broad strokes up and down his back, the table still supporting most of his weight.

"Tell me you have something," Kakashi broke off the kiss to look at him intently with one eye.

Iruka chuckled, pushing him backwards enough to stand up from the tabletop and move to the miscellaneous drawer next to the refrigerator. He tossed Kakashi the new bottle of lube, and then sidled up against him once more, this time pressing his back and hips and thighs against Kakashi's front, reaching around to tug the Jounin's body closer as he faced the kitchen table. He wanted Kakashi to understand that _anything _he wanted was okay.

Kakashi held the bottle with his teeth, using both hands to rid himself of the gloves, and then those talented fingers were moving all over Iruka. Iruka sighed when Kakashi's teeth nibbled gently along the nape of his neck, and he saw the Jounin set the lube on the edge of the table out of the corner of his eye. One hand slid down the curve of his spine and dipped into the valley of his buttocks, and Iruka smiled, pressing back towards him.

Maybe it was the conversation in the tea shop, or maybe it was all the stress of the day. In any case, at this moment Iruka wanted nothing more than to have sex with Kakashi any way he wanted it. With that in mind, Iruka moved his hands to brace himself on the surface of the kitchen table, leaning forward so that they'd have a better angle. Kakashi's extra height made positions like these easy as well as unbelievably good. He was a tensai after all, though Iruka knew they probably didn't really have time for their usual, thorough sessions.

Kakashi flattened himself flush against Iruka's back, pressing him down on the tabletop and reaching around to link their fingers together. Iruka bit his lip, keeping a ragged moan of desire from escaping at the feel of Kakashi, hard and ready against his ass.

"Do you want me to stop?" He whispered and kissed the question along the side of Iruka's neck, causing a flurry of goose bumps to break out.

"Don't you _dare_," Iruka assured him, squeezing their interlocked fingers and salivating at the idea of switching it up. Kakashi chuckled in response, and continued to kiss and nibble Iruka's neck and shoulders until he straightened up, gently extracting one of his hands.

Iruka quivered in anticipation, leaning over the kitchen table and hearing the click of the lube being uncapped. It was rather strange waiting to be prepared, since he was usually the one preparing his lover for sex. But it was obvious that Kakashi on a mission was a Kakashi in control. Still, it took some willpower to stay where he was on the table and _not_ take over–defaulting back to what they normally did when they had time together, unhurried and away from their lives as ninja.

Kakashi stroked him then and Iruka hissed in a breath, shocked by the sudden pleasure of the touch. Kakashi took his time, using plenty of lube to stretch him, little by little by little, reaching his other hand down to wrap around the length of Iruka's cock. Iruka moaned, his body jerking occasionally of its own accord, not as used to these kinds of sensations. Soon, and because that's how Kakashi meant it to be, Iruka was more than ready to have something _else_ inside him, despite how intimidating his boyfriend's size could seem.

"Up," Kakashi nudged his ass, and Iruka's heart gave a lurch of anticipation as he obeyed, balancing first one knee, and then the other on the surface of the table. Kakashi stroked his hands down the backs of his thighs and over the soles of his feet, and Iruka cried out and twitched.

"'_Kashi_," he pleaded, and then sighed, feeling his lover's strong hand on his hips, adjusting him to the right height or angle or whatever it was so that he could maneuver just the way he wanted.

"I'll go slow," Kakashi whispered, rubbing his back gently.

Iruka craned his neck around, smirking playfully even though they were both breathy with urgency, "You can't break me, Kakashi."

Iruka's heart leapt to see a near-smile spread on his lover's face, and then it was all he could do to remain conscious from the feel of Kakashi's very hard, very _big_ cock driving its way into him. He bit his lip and then moaned anyways, holding himself perfectly still. Iruka reached forward and gripped the edge of the table to keep steady from the rush of being filled so full.

Kakashi groaned as he slid the last part of the way in, leaning forward to press his lips against Iruka's bare back. Iruka could feel his quick breaths along his spine, and didn't think he could stand to wait any longer, moving backwards that tiny bit that caused them both to grunt in pleasure. Kakashi seemed to agree with him, beginning to thrust hard and deep, but maybe just a bit too slow.

Iruka pressed his forehead against the table, smiling to himself that this is probably exactly what he did to the Jounin on a regular basis, thrusting just a bit too slow and then working them up gradually. It made him want to take things into his own hands, but instead he just held onto the table's edge tighter, and enjoyed the sensations he so rarely got to experience.

Just then Kakashi moved exactly right, and Iruka bucked underneath him from the intensity. Kakashi's hands closed a bit tighter where they gripped his hips, and Iruka couldn't help but moan along with every thrust–such was the pleasure of Kakashi's cock inside him at the perfect angle.

Iruka could hear the change in his lover's breathing and knew he was close to the edge. The thrusts became more urgent, and Iruka held on tight, bracing himself against the sheer, physical force of his boyfriend's lust. Each pass of his prostate had Iruka groaning on the approach to orgasm, totally disregarding the fact that they were having sex on the kitchen table. Some things just weren't that important.

Kakashi leaned forward towards the end and held Iruka close; his ragged breaths cool against the fine sheen of sweat that had broken out on Iruka's skin. With a shuddering gasp Kakashi climaxed, lurching forward and quivering for several moments in the aftermath. Iruka panted with him, but couldn't move so well from the position he was in.

Kakashi gently withdrew, and then nudged Iruka over onto his back. Iruka smiled, collapsing against the surface of the table and watching Kakashi with half lidded eyes. He wrapped his legs around Kakashi's waist as the Jounin braced himself on his strong arms, one hand on either side of his torso. Iruka had to strain to lift his neck, but the kiss was worth it, full of something much deeper than affection or attraction. Kakashi was the one to pull away, smirking in that way of his and moving lower.

He didn't say anything, just bent his lips down to Iruka's erection and began to tease. Iruka let his eyes close, though he chuckled as he twined his fingers into the still-damp silver hair. After sex like that, he definitely wouldn't last long, not while Kakashi was doing that thing with his–

"_Unnnnh_," Iruka moaned, arching his back and then biting his lip at his lover's demanding mouth. He was right; it didn't take long.

The next thing he knew, Kakashi was licking the cream from his lips like the perverted Jounin he knew and loved, grinning unashamedly. Iruka narrowed his gaze, sensing that _'je ne sais quoi'_ that usually meant trouble, at least when Kakashi was concerned.

"Well now," Kakashi smirked, rubbing the back of his neck where the radio equipment was still attached. "I knew I liked this room for a reason." Iruka's jaw dropped, and he struggled to sit up as a hot flush was spreading across his cheeks.

"Kakashi!" he protested, scooting off the table–very carefully–and pushing away from the Jounin, looking for his boxers and undershirt.

"I was really worried about you, you know," he glared, pulling on his underwear and putting the table between them. "You're acting so weird."

Iruka watched Kakashi's brows slide together in his forehead, and the humor of the situation had gone just as quickly as it had come. He didn't say anything as Kakashi efficiently redressed himself, becoming the Copy Ninja once more, though Iruka took some small comfort in the fact that the fabric mask was left down.

"Iruka," Kakashi watched him intently. "I have about an hour. Do you mind if I stay?"

"Of course you can stay," Iruka answered automatically, but couldn't help but feel even more worried than he'd been at first. What was going on with him?

"Good," Kakashi came around the table and pulled him into a hug. Iruka frowned at the dampness of his clothing, but slipped his arms around him anyways.

"I love you, you know." Kakashi whispered against his neck, and Iruka smiled and squeezed him.

"I hope so, you pervert." He hoped the teasing would help, and was glad to hear the older Ninja chuckle into his shoulder. Iruka sighed, "I love you too. Come to bed?"

"Only because it's yours," Kakashi squeezed him tight, and then let go.

Iruka kissed him, and then offered his hand, which Kakashi took. Iruka led them back into the bedroom, and after stealing a quick minute of clean-up in the bathroom they curled up together on top of the blankets. It was obvious he was going to be sore tomorrow, but he didn't mind, snuggling into his boyfriend's arms and looking into that pale eye.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Kakashi asked after a moment.

Iruka shrugged, watching to see if there were any clues in the Jounin's face to let him know what was really bothering him. "I don't know. Training. And I was going to see if Naruto wanted to go for Ramen, but nothing set in stone."

Kakashi was still for a long moment, that pale eye of his never flickering, though it was obvious that thousands of things were being processed behind it. Iruka tucked some of Kakashi's hair back behind the ear with the earpiece, waiting for him to say something else.

"I want to watch you fall asleep," he said, finally.

Iruka raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

Kakashi nodded, "I want to hold you for a while, and watch you sleep before I have to go back."

"If that's what you want…" Iruka tilted his chin and kissed him, tender and sweet. Kakashi responded to it, matching the tenderness with lips and hands until Iruka felt completely relaxed. He wiggled under the blankets until he was comfortable, still concerned for Kakashi but feeling it was his duty to try and fall asleep as quickly as possible, especially since Kakashi was on a mission.

Before he drifted off, he asked one last question. "Will I see you at all tomorrow, Kakashi?"

Kakashi squeezed him, chuckling in a way that would have been lewd at any other time. "Wait for me here an hour before the Hunt; I have a present for you _Ru-Ru_."

Iruka smiled, snuggling closer. "You can count on it."

* * *

[to be continued...]


	13. Chapter 13

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**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 13:

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Kakashi inhaled the scent of his lover's hair, careful not to wake the sleeping Chuunin as he pressed his unmasked nose into the unruly ponytail.

He'd stayed more than an hour, he'd stayed two—it was just enough time for him to catch a quick nap before the mission required his skills once more, temporarily countering the slow but steady draining of his energy by the multiple clones out keeping surveillance.

The rain had finally stopped. Though it wasn't yet morning the air felt clean and refreshing, even with the lingering scent of ozone; the residual moisture had morphed from an annoyance into a comfort. In another hour, the darkness would begin to shift into a slow, clear dawn, which left just enough time for him to report to the Hokage and then get back to his duties.

Kakashi closed his eyes, enjoying the quiet moment with his lover while he could. He was glad he had never had any real reason for doubting Iruka. How could he even suspect that this man could be involved with scoundrels like the Feudal Lords, or even the Princess? It was a _miracle_ that Iruka was even his. It had only taken the one question to know that Iruka had no idea anyone would be seeking him out the next day, and Kakashi felt relieved that he could hand over his name without any second thoughts.

Really, it had only taken him one second in Iruka's presence to know the truth; he'd asked the question merely to have something to say in the report.

Iruka wasn't exactly in danger… but he wasn't a person Kakashi was willing to risk. The Chuunin was as smart as he was strong, and would definitely not be swayed by any arguments the Princess tried to use, but Kakashi would _never _forgive himself if something happened that could have been prevented were he there to intervene. Whatever the Princess was up to, he would be watching–watching and waiting. _Ready_.

While Kakashi held him, Iruka was safe, and he would have gone on doing such an irrational thing if it weren't for Tsunade's mission. Kakashi reluctantly slipped out of bed.

It wasn't their habit to sneak out of bed from each other, although he'd always been able to, had he the need. Using stealth in such a way didn't feel right, exactly, but it would make sure the mission's requirements didn't interfere with Iruka's rest. Iruka obviously hadn't been sleeping so well on his own before Kakashi had entered through the window, so waking him now would only be cruel.

Kakashi slipped away into the kitchen and readjusted his mask, and then thought better of it. Knowing he wasn't likely to get a good meal for the rest of the day, he opened the refrigerator and perused the contents. He helped himself to the things he could eat without any preparation, since the contents of the fridge suggested that Iruka had been shopping recently.

Then he caught sight of the bottle of chocolate syrup in the refrigerator door, and on a whim, used it to leave Iruka a message, smiling to himself about his boyfriend's silly preference for chocolate ice-cream. Without further delay, Kakashi straightened his mask and radio equipment, and then exited from the window.

His three clones had been utterly silent, so he didn't have to make the detour to check up on them. It was still a bit too early for any disturbance on that end of town, but he thought it was likely that Tsunade was awake–she had lots of arrangements to make while the Feudal Lords and the Hunt competitors were asleep. Or _most _of them, anyhow.

Kakashi took his time while crossing the sleepy village, darting over rooftops and meeting no one along the way. He landed silently in front of the Hokage office doors, leaving a bit more space than he would have if Kotetsu and Izumo had been on guard as usual. Instead of his Jounin friends, Kakashi wasn't surprised to find the doors flanked by two of the newest ANBU, one with sandy hair and one with closely-cropped black hair and pale skin. It was the second who opened the door without saying a word; they must have been instructed to admit him.

Nodding his thanks–ANBU weren't much for conversation, which is why the Corps had been so perfect for him at the time–Kakashi stepped through the doorway and entered the Hokage office to see Tsunade at her desk, her face twisted into an angry and frustrated scowl.

Luckily, she _wasn't _looking at him.

"That's quite an expression you've got there, Tsunade," Jiraiya's laughing only made the kunoichi's face crease more deeply. "You're prettier with a smile, you know?"

Well aware of the bizarre tension in the room, Kakashi casually ambled across the open space, pretending to be fascinated by the tables that had been set up on one side while not trying to make a secret of his presence. Jiraiya was leaning over the side of the desk, grinning perversely and making Tsunade shake with the effort of restraint.

"Go be perverted somewhere else, Jiraiya!" She placed her palm in the center of his chest and shoved, sending him reeling backward more than a few steps to catch his balance, his shoes clacking on the hard floor. "I've got a lot of important things to take care of!"

"Hey, hey, hey! That's not the way to thank me for bringing you breakfast, Tsunade," he straightened his coat and smirked at her, glancing quickly over at Kakashi and winking. The Sannin stepped back towards the Hokage, though careful to make sure her desk was now squarely between them.

He lowered his voice in coy suggestion, "Of course… with all the things you have to take care of, I suppose we really couldn't be enjoying breakfast like we normally do…"

"JIRAIYA!" Tsunade jumped out of her chair and the Sannin moved back instinctually, although the evil grin never left his face. Kakashi had never wondered why the man had horns on his hitai-ate.

Jiraiya turned away from her then, probably sensing that he'd pushed his former teammate about as far as he could get while keeping his more important appendages intact. Kakashi was amused that his own presence aided the other man in teasing the Hokage, providing an audience to increase her embarrassment, although he felt much safer not knowing what their conversation had been like before he'd arrived. He kept moving towards their end of the room.

"Kakashi! Long time no see!" Jiraiya winked again, and Kakashi had to chuckle at the little joke–he _had _been invisible the last time.

"Indeed," Kakashi nodded and stopped near where the older man stood, a smile beneath his dark mask. "Glad to see you haven't changed; are you staying in Konoha long?"

"No, no," Jiraiya laughed, shaking his mass of white hair. "Just dropping by while finishing up my latest novel; Konoha is by far the best place to do research." He gave a mad, male snickering chuckle, but thankfully moved onto another topic before Tsunade's grumbling became more pronounced.

"Besides what I've heard about yesterday's registration," Jiraiya glanced briefly at Tsunade, "How's our hyperactive idiot doing these days?" Jiraiya's grin belied the insult in the question; it was clear that he adored Naruto nearly as much as Iruka did.

"Hmmm," Kakashi rubbed his neck, chuckling, "I guess you could say he's been learning some new things recently… Well, you know how he is. He'll be happy to learn you're in town, I'm sure."

"Heh," Jiraiya laughed, "That sounds like Naruto all right. Well, I'll let you report, Kakashi. And good luck in the Hunt." He clapped Kakashi on the shoulder, and then turned back to the Hokage.

"And I expect you to take my bets seriously, Princess Tsunade," Jiraiya smirked, though his tone was serious.

"Whatever you think you're doing, it won't work!" she called after him, crossing her arms and as he sauntered gleefully towards the door. Her golden eyes met Kakashi's as they both heard the Sannin call out _"Bye bye!"_ before exiting the room.

The doors closed, and Tsunade slumped back into her seat, holding her forehead in her manicured hands. "It's a miracle he's still alive, that one."

Kakashi shook his head in sympathy, giving her a moment to collect herself after her unexpected visitor; he wasn't really in a rush to go back to the Inn. On her desk he could see the offering Jiraiya had left. The rice balls were so badly made only an experienced Chef could tell what they were. They probably tasted just as good as ones that were properly formed, but it was more than amusing to imagine the older man hard at work in a kitchen, and from the looks of it Kakashi hoped he'd been wearing an apron.

What really caught Kakashi's eye, however, was the bulging money pouch next to the food. Obviously Jiraiya had been permitted to bet on the Hunt, but this was the largest amount of gold that Kakashi had personally seen in a long while. Did Romance-novel authors really make that much from royalties? _Very _interesting.

"Should I be tailing him too, Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi asked, by way of introducing the real reason why he was in her office at 5:30 in the morning.

She waved her hand, looking trapped somewhere between exhausted and annoyed. "Don't bother," she replied, sipping some of the steaming tea in front of her. "He's a perverted bastard, but I think we can trust him to play fair. He's not even taking the gambling seriously, despite what he said, so don't give him another thought. He doesn't deserve it."

She stretched her arms over her head and then folded them across her body once more, sitting back in her seat. "Tell me something good, Kakashi. I could use an interesting story."

Kakashi half-sat on the edge of her desk, as he was wont to do when giving his oral reports. He tucked his gloved hands into his pockets, and began to relay the important information.

"No actual contact has been made since registration between any of the Lords and any of the competing shinobi. However there will be at least two meetings tomorrow. Lord Shimoda and Lord Osada seem to be in cahoots, and have a meeting set up at noon near the stadium. I don't know yet who their target is. Princess Tomoko and her guard–who are having an affair by the way–will be approaching Umino Iruka sometime in the afternoon, for an unknown purpose. It wasn't arranged in advance for a specific time or place."

"I see," Tsunade's eyes were calculating, and Kakashi paused while she matched up this information to whatever she already knew about the suspects. "Nothing regarding Lord Nishimoto?"

"Hmmm," Kakashi glanced down at the surface of the desk while he rapidly sifted through his memories until he found the image of the man who'd fanned himself throughout the banquet the previous night. "He made no mention of the ninja in the Hunt, although he asked the Daimyo if the Princess would be submitting a horse to you, and he claimed his horse, Tougarashi, was unbeaten in his province."

Tsunade elaborated for him. "Yes. He's got quite a magnificent racehorse, the exact color of dried blood. He hired protection from Konoha three years ago when he cross-bred Tougarashi's sire with a line from Rain Country, and it seems the results were quite successful. He's been very…" The Hokage sighed, "Well frankly, he's been an ass about everything regarding his horse, and so he's high on my list for suspicious behavior. Also, he and the Princess have an especially tense rivalry when it comes to their mutual sport."

"The princess doesn't seem all that interested in horses."

Tsunade gave a dry chuckle, "Considering her recent behavior, I'd agree with that. However she's got a champion racehorse with her that she's already arranged to submit to me. Beautiful horse, all black."

Kakashi's eye locked with the Hokage's, "You said she's submitting a horse to you? She's given the rest of the Lords the impression that she's not participating in that part of the competition. Or rather, the Daimyo and his head of security, Fujimiya, reported to the rest that she wouldn't be submitting a horse."

Tsunade raised a brow, "Seems she's got more than one thing up her sleeve."

Kakashi withdrew his hands from his pockets so that he could fold them across his chest. "How does Konoha profit from hosting a horse show, or a horse race?"

"Well," Tsunade sipped her tea, absently picking at one of Jiraiya's rice balls. She must be under a great deal of pressure to forget where they'd come from.

"Konoha keeps a percentage of every sale that occurs. And I've had Nara Shikaku develop a series of entry fees and so forth, to ensure a monetary gain not only from the Equestrian events, but from all the vendors that are in turn profiting from the Festival. As far as the Lords go, the fees involved are of course offset by the chances to gamble during the Hunt, which you know about."

"Hmmm," Kakashi took this into consideration. "It's not money that the Princess is after, then, but leverage." She'd need to rally support if she intended to make changes in policy after inheriting her father's position, and blackmail would play a big part.

"I think you're right," Tsunade agreed, nodding. "She's been overly friendly with me, asking questions and reminding me that one day she'll be the ruler of Fire Country in her father's place."

"Trying to get on your good side," Kakashi met her eyes.

The Hokage shrugged. "Yes and no. Feeling me out. Gauging my moves and my strengths and weaknesses. Maybe because I'm both Hokage and a woman. But what we really should be asking is, what does she want with Umino Iruka? That seems inconsistent."

Kakashi was now the one to shrug, "She didn't say. She had her guard Hisagi ask around at the Stadium for information, and the name he was given, unanimously from the sound of it, was that of Iruka."

"Make a guess, Kakashi. What would the Princess gain from one of our best Chuunin and one of our best instructors?" Tsunade looked at him with keen eyes, locking their gazes.

Kakashi looked at the floor after a moment, chuckling. If she only knew how much thought he'd already put into that exact question. The fact that his mission and his personal life were overlapping was something he'd never expected to happen, and it made him strongly consider whether or not the Hokage was someone who should be kept in the dark about his true relationship with Iruka.

They hadn't told anyone at all, for a multitude of reasons, so she hadn't been left out on purpose; Naruto and Sasuke were a different story altogether. In any case, no matter what happened today, it was something he probably should discuss with Iruka, and _soon_.

He cleared his throat, "Well, he's not the type to be picked for subterfuge, especially when it concerns his comrades in Konoha, though I'd bet she doesn't know that. If her aim is to try and use him to throw the Hunt, it most likely won't work."

"Then what does she want?"

"She could want information, either about the village, or about the competitors, or about something else entirely. But again, Iruka isn't the type to leak any of our village's secrets, either. So if that's what she's after, I still think it won't work." Kakashi met Tsunade's eyes briefly, before she looked down at the mess of rice balls in front of her.

"I guess you'll have to find out, right Kakashi?" She chuckled, pinching off a bit from what was supposed to be a corner and chewing thoughtfully.

"I'll be at the stadium later on; I can find out what Hisagi's questions were, and I'll tail Iruka as well if necessary. From what I gather, Iruka is a fairly consistent guy. He'll probably train today, or take Naruto out for Ramen, so it shouldn't be too hard to locate him and see what happens."

Tsunade was deep in her own thoughts, and Kakashi stood up from the desk. "One last thing. I found out that the Daimyo wants Sasuke to compete badly enough to station two samurai in the Uchiha district, both to keep Sasuke safe from any Lords who might try to get to him, and to keep him away from the Princess."

"Ah," Tsunade smirked, "Sounds like something Shijimi would do. He doesn't understand the difference in skills. Never has."

"Obviously not," Kakashi agreed. They didn't need to say out loud that Sasuke wouldn't try to visit the Princess. Even if the Hokage didn't know he was involved with someone, it would have been plain to her that he hadn't been too thrilled with Tomoko's little display.

"Sasuke…" Tsunade paused, her lips thinning. "He's going to have a lot of shinobi after him. I hope there's not trouble; I'd hate to disqualify him or anyone else."

"Don't worry about Sasuke," Kakashi made his voice calm and reassuring. "He's a true shinobi like the rest of my team, and acts only as a true shinobi should."

Her eyes narrowed, "I hope you're right, Kakashi."

There was a moment of silence. If Tsunade had picked up on his clue, she didn't say anything. He was confident she wouldn't act on the information, but at least he could claim later on that he'd informed her of absolutely everything.

Kakashi's head turned immediately when he sensed someone approaching, and he stepped to the side for the sake of strategic space. An ANBU arrived, the smoke from his teleportation jutsu swirling around his masked form.

"Ah," Tsunade said, rising from her desk as the ANBU bowed his greeting to her. "It must be that time."

"Greetings, Kakashi-sempai," Yamato greeted him sincerely, the tilt of his cat mask indicating a distinct bow of respect.

Kakashi returned it. Then he turned to Tsunade, "I'll leave you to your next appointment, Tsunade-sama."

She smiled warmly, "And I'll be expecting your full report. Should be entertaining."

"Of course," Kakashi smirked, and in the spirit of the company, teleported himself up to the roof of the tower, to see the first stirrings of morning peeking through the Eastern edge of the forest.

From there he made his way across the skyline back to the Inn, to see what new things he could reveal from the vipers nest inside it.

* * *

--

* * *

The ghost of dawn stretched her long fingers through the bedroom window, and Iruka blinked against the haze of light. Slowly the sands of his subconscious reburied his dreams, and he soon became aware that he was in his own room, in his own bed, awake.

If he didn't move, he could still sense the spot where Kakashi had been next to him, but just barely. Only a slight dip in the blankets told him the Jounin really had come over, despite the odd sensation that it had been his imagination. Iruka sighed, and closed his eyes again. It hadn't been a dream. _Strange… _but not a dream.

It was strange that Kakashi hadn't woken him to say goodbye before he left. Just as it was strange for Kakashi to have visited him at all in the middle of his mission.

Instead of staying on his side the way he usually ended up when Kakashi was in his bed, Iruka shifted and grimaced as he stretched his sore muscles and laid himself flat on the mattress. If he'd doubted before that Kakashi had been there, the tell-tale soreness in a very intimate location would have brought all the previous night's memories back in a rush. Iruka chuckled, cheeks growing warm at knowing that Kakashi couldn't help it–even when he was gentle, he was just _too big_.

Iruka knew Kakashi had the same soreness at times, but the man insisted that he actually liked it–saying it amused him to have secret evidence of their activities to carry with him throughout the day. Iruka flushed. How did he end up with such a pervert?

Yawning, Iruka stretched again, and then got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen, rubbing the last bit of sleep from his eyes. At least he'd finally been able to sleep, even if it had taken a damp Jounin's presence to induce it. And it was nice to have the sense that Kakashi would be with him, even if he was on a mission somewhere in the village and away for the rest of the day.

Breakfast was the rest of the cold rice and a fresh, steaming mug of Jasmine tea; Iruka ate it standing up, leaning against the counter much as his lover had the night before and felt strength return to his body with every bite. He avoided looking at the table with its embarrassing invisible evidence; it would have to be _thoroughly _cleaned.

But he didn't want to clean anything right now. With the impending Hunt, he felt restless energy coursing through him, and it needed a bigger outlet than housework.

He placed the dishes in the sink with the others, and shook his head on the way back to take a quick shower. The dishes could also wait. Clean and refreshed, he took the few minutes to shave, but hastily tied up his damp brown hair and put on the first loose, comfortable shorts and shirt that he found in his dresser. It was much too early to go see Naruto, but since he was wide awake, he decided to make use of the time to go for a jog, which would help ease some of his tight muscles from yesterday's extra training.

Tying on his hitai-ate, Iruka left his apartment and headed for his favorite place to enjoy a long run. The village was quiet, still shadowy in the early morning light, but the air held the promise of a beautiful day. A few of the restaurants had sleepy-eyed employees accepting deliveries, but the streets were empty except for the litter that naturally accompanied an ongoing major festival. He could guess that his current students would probably be part of the clean-up crew when school started again.

Iruka took deep breaths, jogging at a light pace for a warm-up as he made his way towards the forest. He ran away from the center of town, curving past several beautiful, mist-filled parks and soon wound his way to the beginning of the trail. He took off running once his sandals touched the well-worn path into the verdant forest.

This trail had been one of his refuges as a teenager, a place he could go and train without being interrupted by many others when the memories of his parents got to be too much, or the memorial stone was too crowded. There were newer, more challenging trails all over Konoha, but this one was just… there was a peace here that he didn't find when he used the others, a peace that had lingered since the time of the Shodai Hokage.

Iruka bit his lip, wondering if Kakashi ever came here to run. Or did he run? How did he train, and where?

Iruka sighed and picked up the pace. They knew each other so well and yet there were still questions he couldn't answer, even though they'd been friends for so long before their romance began. It seemed more and more obvious that there were significant things they both were missing out on, and Iruka was starting to think hard about some of the decisions they'd made in the beginning.

The trail sloped upward, the hard packed earth showing more and more rock within it when Iruka caught the first inkling of someone's chakra. When he rounded the bend and nearly choked from the abrupt thickness of the air, he immediately jumped into a sheltered area of foliage and held himself still, drawing a kunai out of his sandal and wishing he'd thought to arm himself more fully.

He could breathe better once he'd stopped running so hard, but it was still difficult–the challenge was alarming. _What the hell was going on?_ He held two fingers to his lips and closed his eyes, willing his body to relax, and concentrating on keeping his chakra presence as low as possible. While he could sense that the amount of chakra gathering was tremendous, he could now tell it was far enough away to not pose an immediate threat, which gave an indication of the size of the jutsu that was about to be used. Something like that could be very dangerous for the village, and his stomach knotted with worry.

Once his lungs were inflating normally again, Iruka moved as calmly and silently as he could through the undergrowth of the forest, closing the space between his original hiding place and the source of the disturbance to scope out the situation. He didn't have to go far; at the crest of a small hill he flattened his body down into the leafy undergrowth and peered over the edge, making out the forms of two people much further down the other side.

The first was unmistakable–only one Kunoichi in the village had that kind of commanding presence, even just after sunrise, with her golden hair and green jacket billowing in the wind. Iruka relaxed, knowing the Hokage was already there.

But the person with her could have been anyone.

He had brown hair, and was in ANBU, that much was certain. But being in ANBU meant his true identity was top secret, and nobody would guess who he was from the standard uniform and porcelain mask. Those details aside, there were two things Iruka _did _know:

This was one of the ANBU that had been at registration with the Hokage, and this ANBU had an incredibly powerful ability, one that Iruka was sure had to be completely unique.

Tsunade held a small satchel in one hand, and a pair of scrolls in another. Unlike her companion, she was facing away, looking out over the expanse of forest in front of her, while the ANBU knelt in the grass, centering his vast amount of Chakra for a jutsu Iruka was sure he'd never seen before, and would probably never see again.

Keeping himself small, Iruka held his breath as the assassin was covered by a visible, light-blue haze of chakra, the force of it making his short hair flap wild around his head. He'd made hand seals already with a dizzying speed, and Iruka could only watch his cat's face mask in fascination as the man suddenly thrust his hands into the earth and let out a bellow.

Whatever incantation he'd said got lost in the force and sudden noise of his technique. The ground shook, and thousands of birds launched into the air from the disturbance as a massive wall of trees sprouted from the area in front of the ANBU's hands, the growth accelerated to the point that within moments both he and Tsunade were completely hidden behind thick, rough trunks. The line of trees spread out in a faintly perceptible curve, and Iruka could only gape while the branches and limbs intertwined to make a solid barrier of living wood.

Even once the trees in front of him had reached gargantuan proportions, Iruka could still hear the creaking and thundering sounds of more trees growing beyond where he could see. If he was right, the curving line would eventually meet end to end, far on the other side of the forest. Based on what he could see from here, the resulting enclosure would completely dwarf the Stadium grounds.

It took more than a minute; it took at least three before the sounds died down. Iruka stayed where he was, silently observing the smaller creatures and birds settle back into their routines despite the intrusion of the massive, wooden wall. He took a deep breath, and let it out in a rush. There was no doubt in his mind what the trees were for.

One word echoed in his mind: _Hunt_.

Iruka was debating on moving closer, knowing that he hadn't been discovered from so far away, when he felt another prickling of chakra on his skin. He waited, watching intently as the vision of trees in front of him warped in a way that made his stomach queasy, and then vanished altogether.

"Aha," Iruka chuckled softly, appreciating the genjutsu. He guessed it was Tsunade's doing, since the ANBU had probably used up a great deal–if not all–of his chakra in the creation of the wall. Iruka shifted his hands up closer to his head, about to make a seal and dispel the illusion, when he thought better of it. He already knew what was there, and how to find it again. There was no reason to do something that might give away his location.

Tsunade had said there were no rules, but he knew his limits. Breaking the genjutsu was one thing–crossing a wooden barrier, the likes of which he'd never seen before, and trying to snoop on the Hokage while she was hiding the spheres was something else altogether. Plus, he'd only brought one kunai. That was hardly enough to try and lay siege to a massive territory guarded by the fiercest warrior in the land and her trusty guardian assassin.

Lying low for a few minutes more, Iruka kept his senses alert for any other signs of activity, whether from the area below him, or the trail behind him. When nothing more occurred, he stood up from the ground, brushing off the bits of dirt that had clung to his skin and clothing, and then picked his way back to the running path. He'd learned some very important information just now, but it made him wonder about Morino Ibiki. What was the purpose of finding him? How was he the key to getting inside? Iruka looked back over his shoulder. Maybe those weren't just trees…

Iruka tucked his kunai back in its spot, and stretched his hamstrings, doing some jumping jacks to get his body warmed up again before continuing where he'd left off. The sun was higher in the sky now, shining more brightly and casting longer shadows through the trees' canopy. He increased his speed, determined to run as far as he could towards the Hokage monument before he had to turn back–he didn't have enough time to run the full course if he wanted to have breakfast with his favorite former student.

Iruka pondered many things while he was running, not all of them relating to the Hunt. He wondered what Kakashi was doing right then, and what the mysterious comment his lover had made before he'd fallen asleep portended. He thought about Naruto, wondering where he'd been all of yesterday, not answering his door even when Iruka had offered to treat him to Ramen for dinner. Eventually he'd given up, making it back to his own apartment before the thunder had announced the rain's arrival by rattling all the windows.

Iruka wondered what he would do if Kakashi had publicly humiliated him and then kissed a Princess on top of it. Although he really couldn't take the second part seriously because of the mask–you just couldn't surprise that man when it was up. Iruka snickered at the absurd mental image of Tomoko trying to yank down Kakashi's mask for a kiss—

Iruka's sandal slipped in some gravel, but he caught himself and kept running, surprised that he hadn't realized the truth sooner: Sasuke hadn't kissed the princess, _she _had kissed _him_! Somehow it helped to look at it that way, even if it would still be painful to see your boyfriend kissing someone else. Iruka wondered if Naruto had thought of that yet, though it was only a small ray of light in a very dark situation; he hadn't forgotten the look on Naruto's face as he'd left him on the steps.

The sun climbed higher and higher, and Iruka felt his lungs and muscles burning in a satisfying kind of way by the time he turned and retraced his steps back towards the village. It was just 9:00 when Iruka reached the park at the base of the trail, and slowed his pace to catch his breath. In an easy jog, Iruka watched the Festival vendors begin to open their stands, zig-zagging through the bustle towards his favorite Ramen establishment.

Teuchi had opened his door, but Iruka could tell that there were no customers yet. He paused to peek underneath the door hangings to be sure, and then darted away before either the owner or his daughter Ayame could stop him for chit-chat. If Naruto wasn't already there, Iruka wanted to be sure to catch him at his apartment.

Iruka jogged all the way to his student's building, choosing to sprint up the flights of stairs in the spirit of his cardio training instead of leaping up via the balconies. He was worried about Naruto, but the endorphins from the run had done him a lot of good, and he knocked on the blonde's door energetically, prepared for whatever state his student might be in.

"Naruto?" He called, breathing hard and waiting for Naruto to come open the door. His eyebrows narrowed when no one came.

"Hey, Naruto? Are you in there?" Iruka knocked again, pressing his ear against the door and listening intently for movement within. Still nothing. Iruka bit his lip, considering. Was he asleep? Had he already gone training? Was he in there ignoring him?

Iruka replaced his ear with his palm, holding it against the wood as if feeling for Naruto's heartbeat, hoping that the younger man wasn't in there and deliberately not coming to the door. Surely he'd open it for his sensei… wouldn't he?

Another set of Naruto's words came back to him: _"You shouldn't worry about me so much."_

Iruka sighed, and turned around to lean against the door, folding his arms across his body. Maybe Naruto was right. Naruto wasn't a child, and Iruka was hardly his father. But he was Naruto's friend, and his former mentor, and he couldn't help but be concerned. Yesterday had been so ugly; Iruka wanted badly to help, to be there and lend his support, and it hurt to think of his student shutting himself inside his apartment not letting him in. What would Kakashi do?

Iruka moved to the hall's railing and looked out over the street. Kakashi would tell him he was being ridiculous, and then Kakashi would ask him when he'd ever known Naruto to hide in his apartment and sulk. Iruka chuckled, thinking wryly that Kakashi really was the best choice for Team Seven, even if he'd argued with Sandaime over it at the time.

He turned once more and looked at Naruto's door, deciding to trust in Naruto's courage and strength to get him through the day and coming night of combat. Naruto was quick to bounce back from challenges, and he was probably off training somewhere right then–Iruka could imagine him getting up early for it.

As for Sasuke… there would be time after the competition for that situation to be resolved, and Iruka would make sure he was available for whatever Naruto might need. He'd learned the hard way that sometimes people just weren't as honest or caring as you were, and if it turned out that Sasuke had used Naruto like he'd been used…

Well. Sasuke had better not cross his path anytime soon, because he'd have one very angry teacher to deal with if he did.

Iruka left Naruto's building and sprinted over the skyline to his own side of town. He could always check again at dinnertime. Naruto should probably be back by then. Once inside his apartment, he changed and armed himself thoroughly for his planned training session at the Restricted Grounds, and hopped down to the street. The smells of the vendors at the edge of the Festival wafted into his nostrils, and he decided to make a slight detour, having ignored his stomach's urgings thus far.

Near where he'd been mobbed by the mothers of his students on _First Night_, Iruka found a stand offering grilled squid. Mouth watering in hunger from the intense run that he'd had that morning, Iruka didn't hesitate to buy one of the largest ones, smiling cheerfully and conversing briefly with the stand's owner before taking a delicious bite.

It was wonderful, and he sighed as he chewed, reminding himself that being in training meant changing his eating habits. Ninjutsu burned many more calories than teaching, although it was often a close call.

Walking briskly as he ate, Iruka focused his attention on the upcoming Hunt, and quickly devised a plan to make sure he wasn't as rusty as a certain Uchiha seemed to believe. Tossing the cleaned skewer in the closest trashcan, Iruka darted off over the bustling village, eager to practice some of his signature techniques.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke stood in the back courtyard, his eyes closed against the glare of the early morning sunshine, but his hands reaching high above his head as if to touch it.

He'd slept deeply. Even though he'd awoken at sunrise and showered, and then cleaned up all the shuriken and kunai from the dewy grass, his mind still felt like it was in a dreamlike fog. He twisted his body from side to side, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, moving through motions as familiar to him as the feel of his hitai-ate knotted snugly at the back of his head. He slowly bent backwards until his hands touched the grass, and felt a distinct tightness in the muscles of his lower back.

_That _was why he was taking some time with his morning stretching; he had to know exactly which muscles were still sore from yesterday's running and the fight with Naruto, and find out exactly what his body's limits were and where to expect a little extra pain. He opened his eyes and looked at his back porch upside-down, grateful that not even a hint of yesterday's headache hampered his vision.

He kicked his feet up into the air, stretching his limbs in an inverted line, and he had an unbidden flashback to when he was four, with Itachi there showing him exactly what to do. The formation of his brother's image in his mind caused his body to tingle in two separate locations–at the center of his forehead, and at the hollow of his throat.

If he tried hard enough, he thought he could also remember the feel of his brother's hands holding onto his ankles and helping him find his balance, exactly the way he'd done when first teaching this routine.

_"Don't worry, Sasuke, I'll protect you."_

Sasuke quirked the edge of his mouth. Yes, Itachi had protected him. More than once, and with more than just a steadying hand, or a special barrier. He was still doing it even after all this time, all the time together that they'd missed out on. But Sasuke was beginning to think he understood Itachi's reasons, even as it chafed to think of himself as needing protection. He was beginning to understand, because he felt the same way about Naruto.

"Nii-san," Sasuke sighed, shifting slowly onto his left hand, and raising his right arm to the side, palm up. A breeze sifted through his bangs and tickled his nose, but he disregarded it, his balance never wavering.

Naruto didn't need his protection; Naruto was stronger than most people suspected, fooling them because he was often so clueless. But Naruto was reckless, reactionary, and didn't think things through before charging into the enemy–and that made the urge to protect him anyhow nearly _irresistible_. Sasuke wanted to be there every time Naruto needed him, even if it wasn't as often as when they'd first been put on Team Seven.

He wanted to protect Naruto's dream to become Hokage, and protect him from the kind of pain and loss that he knew was possible, and knowing this made him think that maybe he understood some of his brother's actions a little better: Itachi had thought he was protecting him, but he might have given Sasuke the hardest task of all–to restore what the Uchiha name really represented, and be sure it endured beyond the tragedy that had nearly eliminated all of them.

Itachi, for all his genius, could not have anticipated how his own legacy would sabotage his last instructions.

Sasuke slowly returned his hand to the grass, shifting his weight onto it and repeating the movement on the other side, grimacing at the ache in his right fingers and the burning in his shoulder. He had a darkening shadow of a bruise there that he'd have to be careful of. He remembered the thrilling power that Naruto had unleashed, and he had to admit that Kakashi was right, although perhaps only in part.

When Naruto felt threatened, the power he could command was astounding. But it was an even more astounding power that Naruto released when it was someone precious to him being threatened. _That _was the Naruto that made him nervous, since it was _that _Naruto that ignited a desire within him so profound it almost hurt to think about it.

Sasuke immediately shut those thoughts so tightly away that he didn't sway at the prickling of desire that flowed through his senses at the memory of Naruto holding him down in the grass. He had the strangest sense that Naruto had really been fighting for him, and not against him. It was disconcerting.

When he'd finished his diagnostic, stretching out all the places that hurt and limbering himself up, Sasuke retreated inside to make some tea and do something important before he lost the nerve. The mindless task of tea preparation helped him to ignore the anxiety that bubbled in his belly. But it couldn't be helped–without the necklace he had to find something else to make him look significantly more like his brother than he did already.

The cloak wouldn't work. It would be too cumbersome in a forest environment at night, and in any case he'd left it at Kakashi's. A mesh shirt, or any shirt rather, would be covered by his flak-jacket. That only left one option, since he'd decided long ago that he wouldn't wear any of Itachi's ANBU gear until he'd made the Corps himself. He clenched his teeth and went to the drawer where he kept the flashlight.

Gripping his tea mug tightly, Sasuke clicked on the flashlight and descended the steps for the second time in as many days, telling himself that there couldn't be snakes down there so soon after his last excursion. He was right–nothing moved as he switched on the light. Not that anything ever did. He took a sip of tea and set his mug down carefully before turning around to face what he told himself was making his palms sweat–the Armoire.

"You're being foolish," Sasuke chided the part of him that was hesitant, forcing his legs to carry him over to the imposing piece of furniture. He opened the doors and gazed as emotionlessly as possible at the contents, the soft lamplight reflecting off the edges and creases of leather.

Would it be better, or worse, if nothing inside fit?

He pushed the garments apart and looked at them critically, trying to estimate which might be the best choice. Some of the pants looked significantly smaller than the others, and out of curiosity he lifted a pair from the hanger and held them up against his legs. They didn't go past his knees. Sasuke swallowed, telling himself that these had to be ones his brother wore before graduating to ANBU. There's no way Sasuke, at almost eighteen, would fit in the pants that Itachi wore at twelve or thirteen–even if his brother seemed like a giant in his mind.

Thankfully–_thankfully_?–there were many others to choose from.

Sasuke took out all the pants, even the deep red ones, that looked to be the right size and set them on his brother's futon. He quickly took off his shorts and one by one tried each of them on, concentrating on the lingering odor of bats as a way to keep his mind occupied. There were three that fit him acceptably, including the red ones, and he relaxed somewhat.

Sasuke kept on a black pair that was mostly comfortable and returned the rest to their hangers, frowning at the thought that he might have to skip wearing underwear in the Hunt. Boxer-briefs were snug, but they were still… well… _bunching _in places that he thought would be a considerable distraction, and the pants themselves were cut too low on his hips for any kind of underwear not to show. It wouldn't look right, which would defeat the purpose.

The lining of the leather would probably be comfortable enough for one night of combat, but Sasuke still thought it was a bit weird. He didn't let himself wonder how often Itachi might have worn this particular pair.

Sasuke returned the rest of the pants to their original places, and went through the other contents of the Armoire with little of his previous apprehension. Many of the items were similar to the ones up in the Uchiha Armory, but there were a pair of knee-high boots that caught his eye, and he inspected them closely.

They had leather straps that would hold a variety of weapons, and the gunmetal buckles reminded him of Naruto's blue boots from First Night, only there were far less straps to fasten. Sasuke fingered the clasps, calculating all the things he could stash, and also how the extra weight might affect his speed. He knelt and tried them on, buckling them over the leather pants without challenge, and took a few steps around the room.

They weren't as heavy as he'd thought, and when he tried walking up the wall he found no difference in the amount of chakra he had to use to get the soles to stick. He made the circuit up to the ceiling and then down the opposite wall back to the floor, evaluating his mobility. The only curious part was that the heels seemed to be heavier than the toes, though both ends were evenly reinforced with a thin layer of steel.

Sasuke figured it out after a minute of searching–there was a small trigger hidden in the tread on each boot that released a sharp blade from the back, a lethal parody of a cowboy's spurs. Sasuke had to wonder again just _how good_ an assassin Itachi had been while in ANBU… though his brother had never been normal, anyways.

He clicked the blades back into their slots, and straightened up. He probably wouldn't use the secret weapons, although if he was ever hog-tied, they'd be a big help. He smirked at the idea anyone would have the guts to try, and then thought about Kakashi, and decided he'd borrow the boots as well. Anything else he might want for the Hunt he could get from the second floor.

Picking up his discarded shorts from the floor and his tea from beside the lamp, Sasuke went back upstairs, getting used to the feel of the boots and the tight leather molding around his hips and thighs. He'd told Naruto to bring whatever he was most used to fighting in, which made him a sort of hypocrite–he didn't have much time to adjust to going commando in leather pants. He prayed Naruto wouldn't notice.

Sasuke had saved some time before he needed to leave for his one errand, which he hoped was enough to solve the last mystery before slipping into the village and back before Naruto came over. He decided to keep the pants on until he left the house, and quickly devised a means to break them in so that he'd be able to fight comfortably in them later on.

With this resolution, Sasuke returned the flashlight to the drawer, and picked up the jar with it's ABURAME label. He scowled at it, and then went back outside to test his inspiration; if he was right, then one of their strategies would become much, much easier.

Sasuke blinked in the sunlight, glancing up into the cloudless blue sky, and pointed his black boots in the direction of the Lake.

Maybe Itachi could protect him one more time. Or more specifically, him _and _Naruto.

* * *

--

* * *

Naruto woke up early, slightly disoriented from the deepness of the previous night's sleep but very well rested because of it. He stretched his limbs, stiff only from the inactivity of slumber rather than the intensity of yesterday's events, and then he sat up quickly, remembering everything at once and reaching for the bandages wrapped around his knee.

He untwisted them in a hurry, running his dirty hand over the skin to make sure his eyes weren't fooling him. His knee was healed, not a trace of the ugly wound showing on his skin. His arm was also unblemished, and he rested a palm reverently against his stomach, mentally thanking the fox even though he was pretty sure the fox didn't heal him because he _wanted _to.

He wouldn't put it past the Kyuubi to refuse, if he could, but it was probably a good thing for both of them that rapid healing capabilities were just part of the deal.

Peeking out the window to see the streets starting to come alive, Naruto hopped out of bed and ran his fingers through his hair, wrinkling his nose at the heap of dirty, rain-damp clothes he'd left on his floor. His skin wasn't much cleaner, and with a mighty yawn he bounded into his cramped bathroom and set to work with soap, shampoo, and toothpaste until every inch of him was cleaner than his kitchen table. Refreshed, Naruto scrubbed his blond locks with a towel and dressed enough to do some push-ups and crunches, happy to have a chance to complete his morning exercise routine.

Pulling on some fresh training gear, Naruto tucked his crystal necklace snugly under his shirt before zipping his spare jacket over it. He creased his brows, remembering Sasuke's fury when his necklace had been broken. Naruto had only been trying to get his rival's attention, he hadn't expected such a violent reaction–could the necklace have had a special meaning, like his did? Sasuke hadn't worn it before…

Naruto mulled over the thought as he got out his largest duffel bag, and set to work packing things for the Hunt. Maybe he'd ask Sasuke about it, once this was all over. He didn't need to look at his calendar to see the big red circle around the twenty-third; thankfully it was far enough away that he still had some time to figure out what to get him. Maybe he could get the necklace fixed… or maybe he should leave it alone. Sometimes Sasuke was weird about these kinds of things.

After arming himself with his usual assortment, and scowling at the amount of weapons he'd left at Sasuke's, he filled the duffel with his night-mission gear. His flak-jacket still looked new; he only ever wore it when sent on higher class missions. Considering the upcoming event, it would be imperative that he have the extra compartments.

Finding and packing the last of his weapons, scrolls, and exploding tags, Naruto heaved the bag over to the door, and went to retrieve his sack of explosives from First Night. Next to it was the smaller backpack that he'd packed yesterday, when the only plan he and Sasuke had devised had been their sleepover. He knelt down and unzipped it, rifling through the pajamas and change of clothing he'd put inside, his fingers brushing against the cool aluminum of his pencil case.

Chuckling, Naruto closed his eyes, and pictured Sasuke just the way he'd left him at the door, smirking faintly from the shadows and looking like he badly needed to be kissed.

Maybe he should have just kissed him.

Naruto hadn't, because of how intense things had been between them earlier. The raging ardor that had nearly consumed him during their battle had still been lurking on the sidelines, circling and waiting for a moment of weakness, and Naruto hadn't wanted to give it any fuel. He didn't want it to _ever _be like that again, and with all that had happened yesterday he didn't trust that he'd be able to stop a second time without doing even more damage.

But today was different, and Naruto opened his eyes and tugged on the zipper of the backpack, closing the contents inside. Today was a fresh start, and Naruto expected that this time, given the opportunity to kiss Sasuke, he'd take it. He opened the duffel bag, and tucked the backpack into it, then set the sack of explosives along with the duffel next to the door. He'd have some Ramen, come back to pick up his gear, and then go to Sasuke's like they'd discussed.

He stepped outside into the bright morning sunlight, and inhaled the scents of the village, grinning with renewed vigor at the idea of competing tonight. He paused to lock his door, more on habit than because he thought he was really keeping anyone out, and turned to sprint over to the stairs when something shiny caught his eye.

Naruto bent down and retrieved a long, slender senbon needle from the floor, nestled in the crook of the wall between his door and his neighbor's. He ran his finger over the bent tip, puzzling over how and why a senbon would be made useless in that way, and why in the hall? The hall was mostly concrete. Well, except for the two doors—

_Wait_! Naruto went back to his doorknob and slipped the tiny hook right into his lock, then pulled it out and held the needle tightly in his fist, knowing instinctively who it had belonged to. _Sasuke_.

He really _had _been looking for him, if he'd gone to the trouble to pick the lock on his door. Naruto had believed it, but finding the needle erased all doubt. Now Naruto was even more eager to hurry over there so they could train, and the snare-drum sounds of someone quickly running up the steps of his building urged him forward.

Pocketing the needle, Naruto leapt over the side of the railing and made his way swiftly over to his favorite Ramen stand, pleased to arrive not five minutes after it had opened for business. The stools were all empty, but Teuchi-san and his daughter Ayame were both cheerfully involved with getting things ready to serve their regular morning customers.

"Mornin'!" Naruto greeted them loudly from just inside the curtains, grinning. He returned Ayame's friendly wave as he made himself comfortable in his usual spot.

"Ah! Naruto-kun!" Teuchi wiped his wet hands on a towel, coming over to lean his big hands against the counter. "You're here early; you must be getting ready to train for the Hunt, right?"

"You got it!" Naruto laughed, grinning excitedly, "And I'm going to win too! Don't you forget!"

"Yes, yes!" Teuchi agreed, his smile genuine. "I'll make my specialty for you then, Naruto, and the extras are on me!"

Naruto's face lit up into a beaming grin, "Wow–thanks!"

Teuchi moved back to his cooking station, and Naruto watched while a heaping bowl of Ramen was prepared and then handed to him. He beamed as he took hold of it, setting the feast down carefully, and breaking apart his chopsticks.

Teuchi chuckled and turned to dry his hands, but then abruptly snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah!"

Naruto watched him curiously while Ayame set a mug of steaming tea in front of him. He took a sip while the proprietor came back over, his face concerned.

"Your teammate was looking for you yesterday, seemed he was in an awful rush. Did he find you?"

"Heh," Naruto rubbed his neck, embarrassed at the evidence piling up that Sasuke was much more thoughtful than he'd given him credit for. "Er, yeah… yeah he did."

"Good, I'm glad," Teuchi smiled. "Say, is it true?"

Naruto frowned, "Is what true?"

"That Sasuke is involved with the Princess? I heard she might be in the market for a husband…" Teuchi rubbed his cheek absently, waiting for an answer.

_Husband_! Naruto started with surprise, and then scowled, remembering the irritating way the Princess had laughed while sparring with Sasuke in the Hokage Tower. He'd almost forgotten that he still owed the bitch for trying to kiss his teammate. He swallowed, attempting to be nonchalant.

"Er, well," he hedged, "How would I know anything about Princesses?"

"Oh," Teuchi laughed, "I just figured you might know more than a rumor, is all. There's been lots of them circling since yesterday, but Sasuke's almost always with you." Teuchi shrugged.

"Ah," Naruto tried to sound less uncomfortable by chuckling, wondering if other people noticed how much time they spent together, and if they thought it was weird. "Well… what Ninja would want to marry a Princess, anyways? That would be so _boring_."

"They do say opposites attract," the older man laughed good naturedly, "Though I guess we'll all find out soon enough." Teuchi smiled warmly, turning away to check on his noodles.

Naruto sighed, glad the Chef hadn't asked any further questions about Sasuke. Actually, it was the _Princess_ that he didn't want to hear about. The very idea of her made him want to wring her little neck with those stupid leg-warmers so she could never laugh again.

It was also hard to keep in mind that since yesterday, anyone who knew him or Sasuke and had been at registration believed they were bitter rivals bent on beating each other, and he had to keep up that appearance at all costs. There was no longer a question of whether Sasuke was on his side, of course, but he saw that it was important for people to think that they had had a real falling out.

And even though Sasuke had insisted he and the Princess hadn't kissed, it still hurt to remember the sight, no matter how briefly it flashed across his mind.

Naruto took a comfortingly large bite of delicious Ramen, glad that Iruka-sensei wasn't there with him that morning like he so often was when school was out. Iruka was cunning about these things; he would be the hardest person for Naruto to convince that he was still angry with Sasuke, since he really wasn't angry anymore. If he was lucky at all, he wouldn't even see Iruka until the—

"Oi, Naruto!"

Naruto jumped in his seat, whipping his head around anxiously at the sound of his name. The man who entered was such a surprise, he could only gape with shock, his chopsticks falling through his fingers to the floor though he managed not to choke on the noodles in his mouth.

"Jeez, kid, didn't I teach you to be less predictable? Always pigging out at Ichiraku's!" Jiraiya entered through the curtains, his presence filling every inch of space in the small Ramen stand. He folded his arms and grinned, while Naruto tried not to choke on his breakfast.

Naruto swallowed the mouthful of noodles whole, and jumped up off his seat, pointing a disbelieving finger at his sensei's face. "Aaaaaaaaah! Ero-sennin!"

Jiraiya frowned, smacking his pointing finger aside, "Ero-sennin? _ERO-SENNIN_? Address me properly you ungrateful kid!"

"Don't go sneaking up on people, Ero-sennin!" Naruto insisted, pointing with his other finger.

"That wasn't sneaking! What kind of ninja are you?" Jiraiya shot back.

"I could have choked, Ero-Sennin!" Naruto dodged the hand that tried to swat his pointing finger.

"Gah! Would you just die already?" Jiraiya replied, shaking a fist.

"You'd miss me too much, Ero-Sennin! And I have to become Hokage!"

Naruto grinned, and then they both started laughing, Teuchi and Ayame rolling their eyes in the background. Jiraiya ruffled Naruto's blond hair as he took the seat next to him, and Naruto allowed it, since he hadn't seen _this _sensei in a few months.

"So what are you doing here?" Naruto asked, taking a new pair of chopsticks and returning to his bowl.

"Ohhhhh, prestigious and important things. Data gathering, of course. And playing with the Hokage," he chuckled, and Naruto grimaced at the implied image even though he always hoped the two of them would make things official one day.

"Hey, hey, you mean you're not here to teach me a new jutsu, then?" Naruto changed the topic, grinning at the older man with his best, most innocently eager expression.

Jiraiya laughed, pausing to order his own bowl of noodles, "That depends on you, Naruto."

"How so?" Naruto asked, stirring his noodles and preparing a bite.

"Well you see," Jiraiya got very serious, and Naruto slurped up the noodles, excited to find out what new technique he'd get to learn this time. "I'll teach you a new jutsu–"

Naruto held his breath for whatever bargain his sensei was about to make. Jiraiya grinned at him. "–but only if you win the Golden Kunai."

Naruto thumped his left fist on the counter, "_OI!_ Of course I'm going to win! But why not teach me now so that I'll win even quicker?"

Jiraiya laughed, "This is called motivation!"

"Aaaah," Naruto shook his chopsticks at him to show his frustration, "That's not fair! Why are you here bothering me if you're not going to teach me anything helpful? I have a lot of training to do today!"

"Listen, you," Jiraiya glared down his nose, "I've just wagered a huge amount of money that you are going win this competition. If I teach you anything beforehand Tsunade will cancel my bet, you can be sure! So all you have to do is win, and then I'll teach you one of my very best, most powerful, and longest-kept _secret _jutsus as a reward."

"How powerful is powerful?" Naruto faced him with gleaming eyes, honing in on what he thought was most important. "Better than Chidori? Better than Rasengan?" He held his clenched hands up to his face with excitement.

"Ku-ku-ku…" Jiraiya snickered, looking off into space as if remembering something Naruto couldn't even begin to guess. "You'll see, Naruto. This is one I've been saving up for you. But! If I lose the bet, the deal's off."

Naruto slumped back on the stool, annoyed. He looked at the Sennin skeptically, "I thought only Feudal Lords could bet. And you weren't even at registration!" Then Naruto brightened, "Oh! Oh! Does this mean you've finally recognized my true potential!"

"Oh jeez," Jiraiya, rolled his eyes, but Naruto could hear the affection behind the sarcasm. "Someone at my level obviously wouldn't waste their time on riff-raff. Besides," he chuckled softly, "You should have seen Tsunade's face, Naruto. It's got her worried, since I've never lost a bet on you yet!"

"You sure this isn't some way for you to get into Tsunade's pants?" Naruto taunted, quickly taking a bite of Ramen.

Jiraiya shook his fist defensively at this accusation, "You think I need to gamble a fortune on a scrap of a ninja in order to spend a night with Tsunade-hime?" Naruto could see the guilt all over him.

"How would she even know if you taught me a new jutsu?" Naruto demanded, trying a different tactic. "You could teach me now if you really wanted to!"

Jiraiya rolled his eyes, sighing. "You don't know her like I do, Naruto. She'd _know_, and then she'd beat us both up."

Naruto slurped some more noodles, "Are you at least treating me to Ramen then?"

Jiraiya pointed, "Buy your own Ramen!" Naruto glared, and the older man sighed dramatically before he continued.

"But, I'll treat you to the best Onsen in Konoha the day after the Hunt, as well as teach you a new jutsu, if you successfully win the Golden Kunai. How's that for motivation?"

Naruto grinned, enjoying how easy it was to be around his sensei, even with the large gaps in-between visits. But he couldn't help but wonder something else, since Jiraiya had brought it up.

"Oi, Ero-Sennin! How much did you bet?" Naruto's eyes sparkled in anticipation.

"Tch," Jiraiya looked at him askance, turning away to fawn over Ayame as she brought him his order. When Naruto thought he couldn't wait anymore, Jiraiya took some chopsticks and stirred the noodles before answering, turning up his nose.

"I'm not telling."

"Ehhhhh!" Naruto exclaimed, "Why not? If you really want me to win, you're not being very helpful."

Jiraiya reached into the fold of his shirt, producing an envelope. "Here, help yourself to this then. Tsunade asked me to deliver it since she's so busy, and she doesn't want you trying to sneak into her office again."

Naruto slurped more noodles, taking the envelope and squinting at the tiny printing. He swallowed quickly, "Ah! Sakura-chan!"

Jiraiya chuckled, "She's a smart girl. You never check your mailbox, do you, Naruto?"

"Shut up," Naruto said with a smile, setting his chopsticks down and reading the letter immediately.

_Naruto:_

_I hope this letter finds you before I'm already back in Konoha–I figure you'd be hanging around the Hokage tower more than you'd check your mailbox. It's been busy here in Suna, but I'm learning a lot of things that will help with Tsunade-sama's research, and in turn I'm helping to teach some beginner medic-nins the basics. The greenhouse here is amazing; I'm stunned every time I see it since there's so much sand. It's wonderful to be absorbed in such intensive studying, but I really miss home, and I miss you guys. And I miss Dango–can you believe they don't eat it here?_

_You'll have to tell me all about the Festival, I can't believe I'm not there to compete in the Scavenger Hunt. If Ino wins, I'm going to kill her! But she won't win, I know, since I'm sure you and Sasuke-kun are competing on the Chuunin side. Sasuke-kun's even worse than you at checking his mailbox, so would you pass on a message? I won't be back in time to tell him myself, so please wish him Happy Birthday, and that I'll be bringing him a present from Suna. And if you see Shikamaru, Temari is going to be making the return trip with me to Konoha. He should be pleased to hear that she's able to travel sooner than she thought. Gaara-sama sends his best, and adds that he expects to hear of your victory, or else he claims a rematch. (I don't think he's serious…)_

_Anyhow, before this gets too long for you to read at one time, I'll say good luck in the Hunt, and as soon as I get back I want to hear about everything that's happened since I left. Take care of yourself, and don't you and Sasuke-kun kill each other while I'm not there to do surgery._

_Love, Sakura._

Naruto smiled, holding the letter for a moment after he finished reading. "Sakura-chan," he murmured, all at once dreadfully missing his teammate, while also dreading the moment she came back. What was she going to say when she found out that he and Sasuke were…?

He sighed; maybe that all depended on what happened between now and then.

Naruto's mind flashed on the morning Sasuke had woken up next to him in a lazy, peaceful naked tangle, and then flashed to the afternoon they'd tangled in the grass, sweaty with furious lust-crazed anger. Who could say what the evening would bring, with both possibilities still grappling in the background? Naruto knew which side he wanted to win.

No, he knew _exactly _which side would win.

Naruto folded the letter and put it into his pocket. He couldn't wait to flaunt his Golden Kunai when Gaara visited the village next.

"Thanks for delivering this," he grinned at his white-haired sensei. "Sakura-chan always writes good letters!"

"Such a sweet girl," Jiraiya sighed the way he did when he was busy peeping, and Naruto was the one to roll his eyes.

"Don't forget who _her _sensei is," Naruto chided him, and they both rubbed the back of their heads to ease the phantom pains of parallel memories.

After a moment, Jiraiya pushed his empty bowl back from the counter so he could lean on his elbows. "Naruto."

"Yeah?" Naruto slurped up his last bite, and also pushed his bowl to the side, rubbing his full tummy in bliss.

"It's not easy to compete against your rival, especially when there's so much hype. Just don't forget that he's a comrade too–I don't want to see something like a Festival competition turning best friends against each other."

Naruto was surprised at the intensity he saw in the older man's eyes, wondering what had prompted the seriousness of Jiraiya's voice. The Frog Hermit must have heard about how he and Sasuke had shouted at each other yesterday, but there had to be more to it than just that, and he could guess it was probably something that dated back far before he had been born.

Naruto kept his eyes where they were, his fingers curling into a fist under his elbow. He gave a chuckle before answering. "Oh don't worry. We wouldn't be best friends if we weren't rivals, Ero-sennin." Jiraiya looked at him shrewdly, and Naruto grinned.

"But you know–you better be ready to teach me a new jutsu like you promised, because there's no way in hell I'm going to lose!"

The both of them laughed, and Jiraiya clapped his big hand on Naruto's shoulder as they rose to pay their bills. They stepped out into the sunny street, and Naruto folded his hands contentedly behind his head, excited about the things ahead.

"Good luck, Naruto!" Jiraiya called out as he sauntered on his way.

"Yessir!" Naruto called back, waving at his sensei's retreating form and then sprinting for his apartment.

* * *

--

* * *

It was either the discovery he'd made as to the nature of Itachi's ointment, or the relief and comfort of his regular Ninja clothing that made Sasuke's mood rather light as he set out on his errand.

Even when he'd sensed the presence of the two Samurai still lurking in his district, Sasuke didn't let it bother him; he climbed to the top of the huge pole that enabled his house to have electricity, and squatted on its tip to survey his domain. Two Samurai were at the front entrance, one on either side of the open archway, looking quite bedraggled after a night out in the rain. If he were the Daimyo, he'd have sent a change of guard by now, but even if the men had been fresh Sasuke would have had no trouble evading them. He shook his head before descending and proving it.

He made his way across the village, timing it so that he'd arrive at his destination just when the vendors would be opening for business. He didn't want to linger, for more than one reason, the main one being his blond teammate, however he hadn't thought to ask Naruto to run this errand before he came over. So he'd decided to just take care of it himself and hopefully beat his rival back to the house.

At exactly 9:00, Sasuke was standing in front of the stand in question, the vivid banner with the black boars at either end waving gently in the breeze. Unlike the neighboring stands, however, this one had no sign of it's owner and no sign of any employees. Sasuke scowled.

He knocked on the wooden side panel of the stand, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Getting only a silent response for his efforts and sensing nobody behind the canvas curtain that protected the front display areas, Sasuke leaned back against a wooden post and put his hands in his pockets. He should have known that that idiot salesman wouldn't be punctual.

Sasuke waited patiently for nearly ten minutes, watching the traffic of local shinobi and keeping to himself. At one point he thought he saw Iruka-sensei run by in a sweaty rush, but it had been too brief a glimpse to be sure. This area was close to the teacher's apartment building, so it was logical that he'd be somewhere nearby, and Sasuke grimaced at the thought of running into him.

He'd had to say some harsh things at registration yesterday and he didn't want to have to do it again. A second confrontation would only make things worse–Sasuke still had to play the role from yesterday for anyone related to the Hunt. With any luck, that would be the only glimpse of the teacher he got until the Hunt had begun.

After the sixteenth minute of waiting, impatience sank in and pulled Sasuke's mouth down in irritation accordingly. Sasuke watched as more and more people came milling about, the smells of the food stands calling them by their noses in droves. He watched younger kids begging for Dango, and older kids rushing to get Okonomiyaki, and wondered if Naruto was eating Ramen right then. His mind shifted to memories of the blond juggling in his amazing Yukata on this very street…

And then he saw Iruka.

Smiling and wearing training gear, the teacher came over to a stand serving grilled squid and ordered, a katana poking out of a back sheath. Sasuke went completely still, letting his Sharingan surface as he watched and waited for Iruka to turn and look at him. Iruka reached into the stand and came out with an enormous squid in his hand, flashing a beaming grin at the Chef. He rubbed his neck and exchanged some pleasantries before moving away again, taking a bite and closing his eyes in rapture as he left the premises.

With the relief of Iruka's departure came the oddest epiphany; Sasuke knew he and Kakashi were more similar than different, but he'd never before remarked on how alike Iruka and Naruto were. Naruto wore that exact same smile when buying food, and Sasuke had to wonder if Iruka made friends everywhere just like his teammate did. It was uncanny.

It was also extremely uncomfortable, if he were to think further on what he knew about Kakashi and Iruka's relationship.

He shoved away the thought, focusing instead on the many ways he'd torture that idiot fireworks salesman when he finally showed up to open his stand–this was getting absurd. It didn't take a genius to know that everything in Konoha opened at 9:00, Festival or no Festival, and there were signs everywhere. What kind of businessman didn't open his doors on time?

Sasuke contemplated severe punishments for the inconvenience while he bought his own squid, having realized that at this point he wouldn't have time to cook when he got home. He ate silently and hoped the food would help quell his ire; they'd better not be sold out of what he needed to buy–he couldn't be held responsible for what might happen if they were.

By the time the fireworks seller arrived, Sasuke had been waiting nearly forty-five minutes. Efficient by nature, this long period of inaction did nothing for his mood, despite the tasty squid he'd eaten in the meantime, and he stood rigid in annoyance.

If it had been worth his brainpower, he might have guessed that when the man finally arrived to open his shop, it would be with an explosive entrance.

"_Yeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah_!"

The man's bellowing voice announced his arrival in a crescendo up the cobbled street, a cloud of dust swirling in his wake as he clung to the collar of his wild boar. Sasuke arched one eyebrow as the duo approached with bomb-like speed, and then the man was launched over the front of the animal he'd been riding on in a perfect demonstration of the laws of physics. The force was enough that he somersaulted several times, scattering small children in all directions like pigeons.

Why the boar had stopped so suddenly, Sasuke couldn't say, and didn't want to guess. Maybe it only had two speeds. In any case, it was with much disdain that the Uchiha watched the beefy businessman clamber to his feet and brush the dust off of his green and black clothing with a grin that, unfortunately, also reminded him of Naruto.

"Ah! Bonnie-chan!" the man said affectionately, turning to gaze at the monstrous boar as if it were a proud and mighty stallion. He moved closer to pet its hairy head. "That was a good ride!"

Sasuke interrupted the touching scene. "You're _late_."

The man's head snapped up and he met Sasuke's scowl with one of his own. Sasuke merely tilted his head towards the sign behind him which stated the hours of operation that had been set for all the vendors on Festival property in bold print. The man glared, and then laughed, coming a bit closer but looking completely unapologetic.

"Ah, yes; I forgot this is Konoha. Well it's not your fault you didn't know. My alarm only goes off at nine o'clock–so how could I be here before now?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth as the man came over and clapped him on the shoulder with thunderous laughter. He shrugged off the offending hand as the man continued.

"Kukaku's doesn't open until ten, but–" He grinned conspiratorially, glancing around like he was making a tempting, secret offer. "Since you're already here I'll cut you a break and open a bit early!"

Sasuke opened his mouth to respond with a scathing remark when the man turned away from him and whistled sharply through his teeth, the giant boar trotting over obediently to sit in the shade of the stand's empty display rack. The man busied himself tethering the animal to a wooden stake that Sasuke thought was woefully inadequate for the task, and then he began to untie a knotted cord off to the side.

"Now! What are you in the mood for? Bombs? Grenades? Sparklers? If you didn't know, we are the self-proclaimed, number one manufacturer of explosives in all of Fire Country!" The man spread his arms wide and pulled the string that opened the canvas curtain with dramatic flair, revealing only more empty display racks inside. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, and the man smacked his own forehead loudly.

"Ah, sorry! I forgot I sent Yamada-kun to the Hokage Tower roof with the others to get set up for tonight," the man rubbed his neck with a beefy hand. He tucked his thumbs proudly into his armpits, "Kukaku's is in charge of the official starting signal for the Scavenger Hunt!"

Sasuke shifted his pose, feeling as bored as he looked. He watched the man fish in his pockets for some keys and then go to several locked trunks and open them, revealing a disorganized assortment of his wares. He didn't miss the tidbit buried in the salesman's bragging however, and made a mental note, filing it away in his database for the Hunt.

When the man had opened the trunks, Sasuke cleared his throat impatiently, giving his order. "Three specialty double-ended torches and two forearm-guards."

"Oh!" the man regarded him with a different calculation, "You've heard of our special products then!" He grinned, overly pleased. "I have those right over here!"

After a moment of digging, the salesman produced exactly what Sasuke had asked for, and laid the items out on the counter. He added a couple of bombs and a large box of sparklers as well, and was just launching into a sales pitch when Sasuke took a step forward and flashed his Sharingan, speaking through clenched teeth.

"_No thank you_." He'd really had enough of this man, _and _his stupid boar.

"Ah, ha, ha," the man backed away, "Of course! Er… would you like a bag for those?"

Sasuke sighed and left the stand as quickly as possible, his bag of loot considerably smaller than the one Naruto had lugged around on First Night. However he was sure he'd spent his money more wisely than his teammate, and shook his head thinking of Naruto's empty and ridiculous frog wallet.

Now that he had the tools he wanted to try out in their training, all that was left was to get home before Naruto showed up. If he hurried he'd make it there before 10:00.

* * *

--

* * *

Naruto heaved his overstuffed duffel onto his shoulder, staggering a bit before balancing with the bulging sack of explosives. He locked his door once more and then descended the several flights of stairs to street level–rooftop traveling was not going to happen with this amount of luggage.

The rain had ended just like Sasuke had predicted, and Naruto enjoyed the bright sun and the summer breeze that blew his hair in all directions as he made his way across the village. Naruto was anxious to finish up their planning so that they could train as much as possible before it was time to search for Ibiki. Hopefully Sasuke was awake and fed and ready to train as well–they had no time to lose.

The village was getting busier and busier, and Naruto smiled at the children who were leading their parents towards the Festival's specialty stands, clearly not through with exploring all the new sights that had sprouted due to the celebration. He was making good time. The sun and the weight of his baggage cooperated in an effort to make him sweat, but his mood stayed high nearly all the way to Sasuke's.

It was only as he approached the towering, whitewashed archway at the outer limit of the Uchiha compound that his brows dropped into the beginning of a scowl, his mood sinking along with them. He couldn't be sure from the distance exactly who was causing the trouble, but the fact that there were at least thirty agitated people all gathered at the entrance–and making a lot of noise while they were at it–did _not _exactly thrill him.

Naruto ducked into the sparse trees that lined the avenue stretching in front of the Uchiha district, knowing he couldn't be seen near his teammate's house. He set down his bags, and watched from the shade for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on. Evading them wasn't the issue, he was sure he could do it and get to Sasuke's house without anyone spotting him. But the fact that there were people gathered for some strange purpose posed a serious difficulty–he and Sasuke needed to train, and they couldn't do it properly with random weirdoes interrupting them!

Whatever was going on, he had to find a way to get rid of the intruders so that their Plan didn't get messed up, and as it was quarter to ten already he couldn't afford to wait around for them to leave on their own. If Sasuke was inside his house getting things ready for the Hunt, he probably didn't even know about these people. So it was up to Naruto to investigate and somehow get these people to go far, far away. The thing was, he couldn't just walk over there himself…

Naruto grinned. This was exactly why Rasengan wasn't the only jutsu he'd been working to improve over the past months.

Naruto made the seals and effortlessly transformed himself into a version of Sexy-no-Jutsu, the version he'd modified for doing undercover work. He snickered and tossed his long, blonde ponytails, feeling them swish along his bare arms. His outfit showed a lot of leg, modeled after Sakura's miniskirt style, but he thought it suited him since he'd changed the color of the sleeveless top to match his eyes. He scrunched his toes experimentally in the knee-high boots, remembering how he'd nearly broken his ankle learning to walk in them.

So far, the two times he'd used this appearance on a mission he'd been 100% successful at finding out the required information, and even when he'd still been testing it Konohamaru hadn't recognized him for a good five minutes. It was possible that being almost eighteen made the jutsu that much more effective–nobody would connect his current body with the buxom vision he could impersonate.

It was a tad on the perverted side, but Naruto couldn't help but rub his hands together in anticipation of the mischief he could cause with this jutsu; he had both Jiraiya's and Kakashi's influence to blame. Giggling with his now-girlish voice, Naruto made his way down the street to investigate the commotion under the archway, swishing his arms and accentuating his hips to be "in character."

His first clue was the disproportionate number of females he could see at the edge of the group. The closer he got, the faster his steps became, until he was right beside what he discovered to be a cluster of teenage girls all yelling and holding heart-shaped boxes in the air. He shouldn't have been surprised to hear the repeated syllables of his rival's name, but the din of it was _unbelievable_! This was by far the largest group of Sasuke's fangirls that he'd ever come across, and his usual reaction to them was delayed from the shock.

"What the…?" he managed to get out, once his voice had caught up with his eyesight.

Scowling in extreme irritation, Naruto shoved and elbowed his way through the group until he came to the front. There, he found the two Samurai from the night before, holding their sheathed katana out in front of them in a mini-barrier, keeping the girls at bay and looking thoroughly confused.

The girls for the most part were each holding some kind of gift-wrapped chocolate offering, and Naruto could feel the angry rumbling in his throat even if the sound of his growling was drowned by the cacophony of _"Sasuke-kuuuuuun!"_

"You have no right to stop me!" One girl shouted on Naruto's left and he turned his head in her direction. "I won't leave until I see Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto glared at her intently, and then felt his skin break out in goose-bumps of loathing from the surging choir of fan-girl voices:

"I want to see my Sasuke-kuuuuun!"  
"I won't let him be with the Princess!"  
"Sasuke-kuuuuun! Where are you? Come out!"  
"Don't do it Sasuke-kuuuuun!"  
"I love you Sasuke-kuuuuun!"  
"You get away from here, he's going to marry me!"  
"Sasuke-kuuuuuun! I'm here!"  
"Get out of my way, he's mine!"  
"You can come out now!"  
"Let me pass!"  
"Sasuke-kuuuuun!"  
"SASUKE-KUUUUUN!"

Naruto bared his teeth. He _hated _Sasuke's fangirls. All of them. With extreme passion. And they smelled so gross–they must use gallons of perfume!

One girl tried to duck underneath the left-hand Samurai's katana, but he grabbed her arm before she could get past. Frowning and looking mildly desperate, he turned to his comrade.

"Sentarou! What should we do?"

The second man shook his head, "I don't know Kotsubaki! The boss didn't say anything about a mob of girls, but we can't let anyone go in there!"

"We're supposed to make sure he competes," Kotsubaki looked even more desperate, "_But_…?" He was clinging tight to the fangirl he'd caught and seemed oblivious to the sweat that was dripping down his nose from the stress.

Sentarou simply grunted, watching the fangirls in front of him with both eyes. "At least the Uchiha can't get out of here while these girls are blocking the way, so we're okay on that part of the job. He won't be visiting the Princess today."

While being jostled by angry fangirls, Naruto's attention was drawn to the struggling girl, trying in vain to twist her arm out of the Samurai's grip. Tears of frustration made her exorbitant amount of rouge run down her face in strange, pink trails.

"Let me go! _I'm _the one who's really with Sasuke-kun! He hugged me! I'll prove it!"

"Ahhhhhh!" Naruto gasped, pointing at the girl once he'd gotten a good look. "MOEGI?" he asked incredulously, "What in the hell are you doing here!"

He was shocked! Since when was she one of Sasuke's fangirls? She turned her orange, bristly pigtails in his direction, her eyes squinting with immediate dislike.

"And who the hell are _you_?" she shouted back, glaring and then squaring her shoulders. "Stay away you blonde hoochie! Sasuke-kun is mine, and that's it!"

Naruto's jaw dropped, "Why you…!" He stepped forward, only to have several fangirls clutching at him.

"Oh no you don't!" a slimy, girlish voice hissed into his ear, "If anyone's getting through here it's me!"

Naruto shook off their grabby hands, turning and barreling his way back out of the group in a very un-ladylike fashion. He'd seen enough–and he thought he really might hit one of them if he heard "Sasuke-kuuuuuun" one more time. He marched angrily all the way back to his things, forgetting to sway his hips in character. He kicked the closest tree trunk in aggravation.

Obviously the rumors of Sasuke and the Princess had spread like wildfire, and his teammate's fangirls had come running to try and undo what they probably thought was the end of the world. If he didn't have to be incognito, Naruto could get rid of them in his usual way, but since he couldn't do that, he'd have to think of something else. Something that would get them all to leave… something that would draw them away…

Naruto planted his fist into his palm–_that's it_!

He grinned, covering his lips while he chuckled at the brilliance of his plan, all his anger instantly vanishing. He released his henge and cracked his knuckles, his smile so big it nearly hurt his face. And the best part was that Sasuke was safely inside his house, and would have no idea!

It had been a while since he'd had the chance to do something that merited his reputation for being a prankster. The fact that Sasuke would definitely _kill him_ for it only made him more excited. Yosh!

Naruto conjured a clone, and then whispered in its ear. The clone was grinning by the time he was done, and the two of them laughed in wicked conspiracy, covering their mouths to hide the noise. Once it had recovered from the fit, Naruto's clone stood with arms out at its sides, as if ready to be fitted by a professional tailor. Naruto scrubbed a tear from his eye, and then did the seals, changing his clone into an exact replica of his teammate, dressing him in a tight, sleeveless shirt since he could.

And why not? It was perfect!

The Sasuke-clone shifted its weight onto one foot, slipping its hands into its pockets and looking bored, and Naruto felt a thrill at the accuracy–even _he _might believe it was the real thing. But then the Sasuke-clone grinned, pleased with itself, and Naruto jumped back from the incongruity.

"No, no, no, no," Naruto waved his hands. "Not like that. Be more… er… sinister. Or something."

The Sasuke-clone's face fell, then it took a step forward, and glared. Naruto swallowed, nodding and giving a thumb's up. Then the Sasuke-clone smirked, and turned its head up into the sunlight, passing strong fingers through its jet-black hair and letting the locks fall back into place, shifting the pose just enough to be wildly sensual.

Naruto could almost hear a saxophone playing in the back of his mind while his eyes traveled down the front of the Sasuke-clone's body, suggestive and sultry notes to match what his clone was doing. He swallowed again, not wanting to drool over one of his own clones, because that really would be _absurd_. He shook himself.

"Now go!" He pointed, and the clone quickly zigzagged around the block, so that it could approach the fangirls from behind, as if it were the real Sasuke returning from morning errands, or something feasible like that.

Naruto moved a bit closer and crouched down by the tree, straining his ears to hear as much as he could. He covered his mouth to contain his excitement when he saw the clone coming up behind the group in a deliberately lazy pace. The Sasuke-clone stood there for a moment, to see if anyone noticed its presence, and then it spoke, its voice low and sensual.

"Good morning, ladies."

The hush was immediate, and Naruto watched the fangirls turn in unison towards the sound of their obsession's greeting. Just as he thought, they were struck dumb–Sasuke had never spoken to any of them that he knew of. Naruto did hear startled gasps from the two Samurai, and chuckled into his palm at what he imagined their faces looked like, horrified to discover that Sasuke had somehow given them the slip.

"I was just about to visit my Princess," the Sasuke-clone began, touching its hair like they'd just practiced. Only it didn't stop there…

Naruto could hear saxophones again as the Sasuke-clone continued, captivating everyone by stroking its fingers down the side of its neck, and then flattening its palm to slide down over the well-muscled front of its body, shifting its balance to make a pose infinitely more sexy than bored. It was the closest to pandering that Naruto was sure he'd ever see from his rival.

"However," the Sasuke-clone turned slowly on its heel, until it was smirking coyly over its shoulder. "If any of you catch me first, I might give you a _kiss _instead."

The clone kept eye-contact for a tense three seconds, a nonverbal promise that made some of the fangirls shiver, and then it turned and darted off through the small side-street that led further into the heart of the village.

Naruto could hardly contain his laughter at the stampede that followed, the fangirls shrieking and running madly after the clone, all waving their pink and red heart-shaped boxes in the air. Even the Samurai gave chase, trying to maneuver through the mass of girls that were squeezing themselves into the small lane that the clone had easily disappeared through. Naruto laughed until he was crying for a second time, knowing that they'd never catch the clone, and even if they did, it would just disappear, leaving them unsatisfied.

It was too bad nobody else was there to appreciate his genius. The entire arched opening into the Uchiha district was now wonderfully empty and beautifully silent, and Naruto considered it a job well done. He sighed, standing up and wiping his mirth away. A few giggles started to come back, and Naruto was about to give into them when he heard it:

"Oi."

Naruto froze, hoping he'd mistaken the word for one last imaginary note from a saxophone, when he felt a distinct and familiar bonk on the back of his head.

"Ow!" Naruto clutched at his skull and whipped around, his eyes going wide in panic as he recognized the owner of both the voice and the fist.

Standing behind him was the person he'd most wanted to see that day, but the person he least wanted to see right that minute. He pointed in horror:

"Ss-Ssss-_SASUKE_?"

* * *

--

* * *

Kakashi swallowed back a yawn while he tracked the procession of Lords leaving the Inn and heading towards the makeshift stables that were set up around the back of Konoha's Stadium.

The morning had been uneventful in terms of his mission; Hisagi had been relieved just after dawn to get some sleep, and Tomoko had behaved abominably to both the replacement samurai and to the Lords during breakfast. He couldn't exactly blame her, they'd almost to a man decided to try and prick her verbally, but she'd had years of practice evading and countering such attacks from living with her father, and there were many male Egos that bled from her sharp tongue.

The only one completely unscathed was Tomoko's shy, silent handmaiden, pouring tea with a delicate hand, her head covered modestly in a scarf. It was amazing how she could be so close to the center of trouble, and yet remain outside it.

Since everyone was in a rather sour mood, the Daimyo suggested they all go visit their horses an hour earlier than scheduled. They left on horseback and Kakashi watched from a distance and regarded the group as a whole, musing about their personal ambitions and piecing together the clues that were floating in his mind. The show wouldn't be until later in the afternoon, but Kakashi hoped the respite from group formality would loosen some tongues and show him what was really going on.

Immediately behind the Stadium the Lords passed their mounts over to the handlers that monitored the horses they used for common transportation. This area took up most of the open space, with at least twenty men devoted to the animal's needs and a fenced area where dozens of horses were grazing peacefully. From there stretched a kind of causeway, leading to the eleven temporary stables that housed the more important stock.

The Lords all headed to their own designated areas, and Kakashi noticed a freshly groomed Hisagi taking long strides to catch up with the Princess and relieve his replacement. Kakashi slowed and tried to take in the scene as a whole.

There were people moving everywhere, Samurai and trainers and also inquisitive citizens of the village. On one side of the causeway a beautiful, chocolate colored horse was getting a bath and Lord Iwase moved excitedly in that direction to view the process with his blue-clad attendants close behind. Kyoran; Kakashi matched the name with the Lord and the horse.

On the other side of the causeway were two circular corrals, each guarded by a pair of Samurai. Disguised in a henge, Kakashi wasn't the only Konoha native to choose to stand at the first curving fence and watch the fancy racehorses that had been set loose for some exercise. They clipped the grass with white teeth, and swished their tails, and some trotted in random loops to stretch their legs, acting restless. At the second corral Kakashi recognized a fellow Jounin watching a particularly spirited black horse, and he was instantly more alert, though it was unlikely that this Jounin was a suspect.

Inuzuka Hana was in her white medical smock, though he was amused to see the sleeves rolled up nearly to her shoulders, revealing her strong graceful arms and her red tattoo. She had a smile on her face as she leaned her elbows atop the wooden fence. He didn't have to guess what she was doing there; the large Veterinarian's satchel at her feet explained it all.

Ever cautious, he moved a bit further downwind–all the Inuzuka had keen senses of smell, and he knew his scent probably revealed that his clothes had been rained on twice and then air dried, with a hint of Pakkun and probably _eau d'Iruka_ as well.

As soon as this was over, he was taking a long, hot shower. Maybe even with company.

They weren't close friends by any means, but Kakashi respected Hana, and liked to hear her bawdy laughter and sly jokes when they crossed paths–she made everything she did fun. Hana would probably guess that he was on a mission, but she'd be professional about it and keep it to herself. Still, he didn't want to reveal more of his personal life than she needed or wanted to know about.

Kakashi moved along the corral's fence for a chance to see more of the surrounding area. The lone black horse in the next corral was indeed highly spirited, and his movements and whinnying kept drawing Kakashi's attention away from everything else. He found himself wondering if this was the horse Tsunade had mentioned. The description fit.

"Hina! You came!" Hana called out, and Kakashi followed her gaze and her waving hand to see Hyuuga Hinata crossing the grass shyly, with her hands snug in her coat pockets. She joined Hana at the side of the corral, and smiled, stuttering a polite greeting.

"I'm glad you were able to come, Hina; there's a lot of work left today, and I can use your help." Hana beamed at the younger girl, and squeezed her shoulder, then turned her gaze back to the interior of the corral. "But I was able to arrange for a riding lesson like we discussed, so it won't be all boring."

"Are… are they all so…so…" Hinata watched the black horse with a look of terror on her face, and Hana gave her signature laugh.

"No silly, you won't be riding that one," Hana teased. Hinata seemed relieved to hear she wouldn't have to go any closer to the black horse. Resting her arms like before, Hana's intelligent eyes followed the horse's moves in a way that reminded Kakashi of a wolf.

"I hear there's only one jockey that can ride Konjou," Hana explained, then rolled her eyes. "Though I personally think it's something Princess Tomoko invented to scare people, for the added mystery."

She shook her head, and Kakashi wondered what a confrontation between Hana and Tomoko might be like. Probably something Genma would kill to watch–Hana was a surprising powerhouse. Not to mention tall, good-looking, and _feisty_.

"Well… he looks scary," Hinata murmured with big eyes, and Hana laughed again.

"He does," she agreed, eyeing the horse wistfully. "But he sure is beautiful."

Kakashi moved further around the less interesting corral as Hana and Hinata watched Konjou. He had to agree that the horse was gorgeous–all velvety black from head to toe, with a boldness that shone in the gloss of his coat. It was no wonder that Lord Nishimoto and the others were worried about how their own steeds compared. Whether or not Konjou would win the race was anyone's guess, but it didn't take a tensai's brain to see that the black horse was trouble for any opposition.

Tomoko was at her stable speaking with her groomsman, as were most of the Lords, though the snippets of conversation he could hear didn't set off any bells. Kakashi changed location to get a better look at the Princess' horse as Hana and Hinata moved back to the causeway to head towards the Stadium.

From his new vantage point, he could see there was yet another Jounin who had entered the scene. He blinked once in surprise. Shizune, accompanied by her pig, looked completely different out in the sun and away from the Hokage office, surrounded by open fields and nearly a hundred horses.

There was a spring in her step as she came down the path, and she smiled and stopped to exchange pleasantries with Hana. She didn't pay much attention to Hinata, but Kakashi didn't think the Chuunin minded being overlooked. Hana and Shizune spoke at length, Hana's laugh ringing across the fields before the Veterinarian moved on with her shy friend in tow.

Shizune and Ton-Ton continued amiably down the causeway and Kakashi was only partly surprised to see her approach Lord Nishimoto, who made loud exclamations to herald her arrival. Shizune flushed and bowed politely, and he quickly ushered her inside the stable to see his horse.

Ton-Ton paused to sniff the air, and started to move further down the line of stables until Shizune gave a sharp command. The pig returned to her side. If Kakashi hadn't had animals of his own, he might have overlooked the pig's reluctance to give up the trail it had found, but instead he watched intently. Ton-Ton sat down at Shizune's feet, but faced the long line of stables, obviously wanting to check on something.

Kakashi could see Shizune's back as she spoke to Lord Nishimoto and his groomsman, both of them recounting how helpful she'd been in their efforts to breed a horse like Tougarashi. She blushed at the attention and flattery, and Kakashi even heard her giggle–he was sure it was the first time he'd heard it.

If only Gai were here instead, so he could moon over it.

Shizune had to have friends, but it had never been important enough for Kakashi to wonder who they might be. Hana made sense; they were both trained in medicine of one sort or another, and Hana was not part of the party-crowd of which Shizune so adamantly disapproved. The Vet could hold her own when it came to alcohol, Kakashi knew, but Hana was one of the few Jounin who declined Genma's regular invitations.

It was clear to him now that Shizune and Hana had been assigned to the mission Tsunade had mentioned, that had resulted in Tougarashi. Presently, Lord Nishimoto had Tougarashi brought outside, and Shizune clasped her hands and _Oooooo_-ed at the beauty of his coat shimmering in the sunlight. Tsunade was right; he was the exact color of dried blood, although somehow the majesty and poise of the horse itself made the color gorgeous, rather than suggesting the spill from slit throat.

Or maybe only a former assassin would think that.

Kakashi watched as the horse was led over to the bathing station, and Shizune and Lord Nishimoto looked on while Tougarashi was lathered and rinsed. Lord Nishimoto fanned himself and grinned with pride. Shizune hadn't made any indication that she might be there for anything other than reacquainting herself with Lord Nishimoto, but Kakashi kept an eye on her anyhow. Someone, an upper-class Ninja, was coming to this very location today for a subversive purpose, and it was his job to find out who.

Kakashi blended in with his surroundings and kept himself alert, with Shizune, Tomoko and Lords Shimoda and Osada in his line of sight. The latter were standing in the shade of their neighboring stables, ignoring their own horses and eyeing Tougarashi and Konjou with dislike. Tomoko and her head groomsman moved to Konjou's corral, and with a glare in the direction of Lord Nishimoto's back she ordered that Konjou be brought in for brushing and combing.

Her servants quickly obeyed, and after much effort the black horse was coaxed into his stall and subjected to extravagant pre-Show primping. Hisagi watched it all with his same expression of tense disapproval, although Kakashi knew not to believe it–there was a smart and ambitious man thinking and calculating behind the stoic mask.

What in the hell did they want with Iruka?

Kakashi frowned, wondering if he should have asked his lover if he knew anything about horses, even though he thought it unlikely that Iruka was a secret jockey as well as an archer. He shook his head, and the idea with it–Iruka would be a terrible jockey. There was nothing about him that was small, except his tolerance for injustice.

Kakashi observed the rest of the people that were milling about the fields, wondering how many of them might be disguised just as he was. He flicked his eyes over the closest faces, and noticed a group of men either seated or sprawled in the shade of a tree not too far off from the Lord's stables. They all looked rather short, and if that wasn't enough of a clue, the colorful silks filled in the blanks.

Speaking of jockeys, he thought dryly, watching them pass the time by telling rude jokes and sharing a portable bottle of Sake. One or two had settled themselves on the grass to take a nap, but the others were nearly as restless as some of the racehorses, waiting for something to do since they were stuck within this area of the village for the time being, dressed up in their fancy racing colors.

Ton-ton was still at Shizune's feet, but was not happy about having to stay put. Kakashi couldn't be sure from the distance which of the stables was suspicious to the pig, but he kept his ears open for the pig's cries. If anything unusual were to alarm it, everyone would know. He turned his head automatically when he heard Hana's ringing laugh from closer to the Stadium.

She had her bare arms braced on her hips, and was flirting shamelessly with one of the young men taking care of the transport horses. He was blushing and looking at the ground, handing her the reins of a gentle looking brown horse. Hana put her arm around Hinata and took the horse's reins in her free hand, leaning in to give the boy a quick kiss on the cheek. She led both the horse and her friend over to an open area of grass, and began to give Hinata instructions.

Kakashi crouched casually in the grass, making himself invisible while he observed everything, waiting and wondering when he'd see something important. He passed the time by keeping all the players in his vision. The sun crept higher and higher overhead, and Kakashi sighed. It was only 11:00. There was still an hour to go before the "appointment" was to take place. And who only knew when Tomoko would set off to find his lover for some nefarious plot. He clenched his teeth to think on it.

"FUJIMIYA-SAMA! FUJIMIYA-SAMA!"

The shouts cut across the open grounds like a lash, stunning everyone in the vicinity with the sudden noise. Kakashi's head snapped around to see who was shouting so urgently across the encampment, all the Samurai in the area reaching for their katana and readying themselves for action. Fujimiya came rushing out of the Daimyo's Stable, leaving the other two Samurai to guard their boss.

Everyone in the vicinity was watching with curiosity as the two shouting Samurai ran down the causeway as fast as their legs could carry them, which wasn't actually all that fast. Kakashi looked them over, taking in their rumpled clothing and their flushed, sweaty faces contorted in twin expressions of panic. They slowed as they intercepted their commanding officer, and Kakashi could sense the rest of the Samurai relaxing as they recognized two of their comrades, though they were all still on alert.

"Fujimiya-sama!" The first Samurai gasped, completely out of breath. "It's… it's…" He couldn't continue, coughing from the dust.

"Kotsubaki, report!" Fujimiya commanded the second man, watching both subordinates wheezing and spluttering. Kakashi had a guess what this meeting was about, and he snickered to himself beneath his mask.

"It's the Uchiha, sir!" Kotsubaki managed to say, and Kakashi could only imagine what on earth Sasuke had done to have them run pell-mell across the entire village in such a state. Fujimiya glanced over his shoulder at the Princess's stable, and lowered his voice.

"What about him?" Fujimiya put his hands on his hips ominously, and the Samurai instantly straightened up.

"He escaped, and is on his way to see the Princess, Sir!" The first Samurai took up the report, making an effort to keep his voice even.

"And how the hell did that happen?" Fujimiya glared at them, "You were supposed to keep him away!"

The Samurai both knelt on one knee in the grass submissively, still breathing hard. "We followed him as far as we could, Fujimiya-sama, and then came here immediately to protect the Princess!"

"Are we too late, Sir?" Kotsubaki sounded hopeful, and Fujimiya scowled, looking around the area until he caught sight of Tomoko. He smoothed the hair back from his temples while he contemplated his next orders.

"Go fetch Ito and Arakawa; send them to me here. You are dismissed for now."

The two guards nodded and set off at a run to carry out their orders, both cringing at being in disgrace. Kakashi watched Fujimiya walk briskly to Tomoko's stable, and snap his fingers at Hisagi. They stepped to the side and spoke in low tones.

"Hisagi, there's a situation. The Uchiha is on the loose and is reported to be seeking out the Princess. I'm increasing her guard by two; she is _not _to have contact with that Ninja."

Hisagi listened to this with no change in expression, "Understood. But with all due respect, Fujimiya-sama, the Princess is already guarded closely, and her handmaiden Shizuka is also here as escort. A larger guard will only make for a bigger target."

Fujimiya waved this aside, "He got past both Kotsubaki and Sentarou, I won't take any more chances. You understand how Shijimi-dono feels about this, I'm sure."

Hisagi nodded respectfully, "However, there is little chance of that boy causing trouble in broad daylight. One Samurai is enough to protect one woman; three will only get in each other's way."

"Hmm," Fujimiya looked thoughtful, taking heed of his words. "Very well, Hisagi. But keep Ito nearby. He's familiar with your strategies, and I don't want any more mishaps while we have to stay in this god-forsaken village."

Hisagi bowed, "Got it." Kakashi wasn't sure if his furrowed brows were because of Sasuke, or because he hadn't managed to talk his commanding officer down to zero. It made him wonder about Hisagi's real reasons.

Fujimiya waved the two newly arrived Samurai over, and Kakashi watched as instructions were given. The one with short black hair stayed with Hisagi; that must be Ito. They moved to the side and spoke quickly. Oddly, they were almost the same height and coloring. Fujimiya sent the other away, clapping his shoulder in apology before he left. The head of security returned to report to the Daimyo.

Kakashi sighed. Sasuke was certainly capable of getting past the Samurai, but he hadn't counted on his student coming to attack the Princess–what was he thinking? _Yes_, she had used him to pull her father's strings, and had contributed to the situation with Naruto, but that was hardly reason to try and enact revenge while she was a guest in Konoha. If Sasuke really was on his way, Kakashi had to assume it was for something other than assassination–Sasuke just wasn't that stupid. And it wouldn't be for what the Daimyo thought, either. My, my.

"Aaah!" Kakashi heard the breathy, terrified squeal of Hyuuga Hinata not too far away. She was now up in the horse's saddle, and her hands were white where they held the reins. Hana was on the ground holding tight to the bridle while the horse tossed its head.

"It's okay, it's okay," Hana patted the neck of the horse, but was watching her friend. Kakashi wondered which of them she was trying to console. The horse sidled away, and Hana danced easily along with it, keeping it fairly still.

"Hina, relax, I'm right here." Hana instructed, "The horse can sense your fear. You have to calm down."

Hinata didn't relax at all hearing this. "I… I… I'm…"

Hana laughed, though Kakashi could see the tension in her arm muscles where she was struggling to keep the horse under control.

"Hina, think of something else. Remember the time you won sparring with Neji? Or when you caught more fish than anyone else to grill at the Inuzuka cook-off? Something that inspires you, makes you feel courageous. Think about that, Hina."

"Aah!" Hinata gasped again, and Hana touched her on the knee, squeezing briefly.

"If you're scared, the horse will be scared. You have to pretend you're not scared, so that he'll calm down. And you're not, Hina. You're not scared of this. You're not scared of anything. You're strong." Hana's words were sure and confident, and Kakashi saw Hinata close her mouth.

"Y-yes," the Chuunin answered, and her back seemed to stiffen. Her face took on a look of determination, and the horse slowly seemed to quiet down. Within a couple of minutes, he stood still, Hinata sitting significantly more at ease up in the saddle. Hana clucked and rubbed the horse's neck.

"Yes, good," Hana stroked the supple fur, smiling up at her friend. "Good, Hina. Ready to walk? We'll go slowly."

"Okay," Hinata blushed, and Hana grinned wolfishly at her, then turned and led the horse towards the causeway with a slow and gentle gait.

By this time, Tougarashi was through with his bath and was grazing peacefully off to the side. Shizune had offered to help with the drying and combing, and Lord Nishimoto and his attendants fawned over her as she lent her aid. It was strange how someone so haughty around her fellow Ninja could be so open and friendly with a Feudal Lord and his horse. Maybe it helped that the one was royalty, and the other was blue blooded horseflesh–Shizune seemed overly aware of these kinds of things.

So why couldn't she see the champion in Naruto? Or Gai? Gai was a Jounin, and one of Konoha's best. Kakashi shook his head, watching her.

Ito had taken position outside the Princess' stable, while Hisagi and the rest were inside dealing with Konjou. Everyone else in the surrounding area seemed to be behaving normally, seeing to their duties, or checking out the sights. It seemed peaceful. But Kakashi was edgy.

"Narita-san," one of the horse trainers called as he approached the group of jockeys, moving towards one who was sound asleep. The small man was flat on his back in purple dress silks.

"Don't bother," a jockey in blue and white chuckled, taking a swig of Sake, "He's been sleeping like a log all day. Must've found himself a Konoha filly last night!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes inwardly as the rest of the lazy jockeys cackled. The trainer shook him by the shoulder, and the blue jockey kicked impatiently at the foot of his sleeping comrade when he didn't respond. "Oi! Narita!"

"Wha…?" Narita stuttered, lifting his sunglasses to rub his eyes. The glasses fell back into place as he sat up, and Kakashi felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. He'd _definitely _seen those glasses before, even if the face was completely different.

"Your boss needs you," the blue jockey kicked him again, and Narita moved his feet deftly out of the way. Kakashi tensed his muscles, ready to follow. His mouth was dry; in masking his own chakra, he couldn't scan for another's as effectively and had overlooked the Jounin because of it.

Narita stood and stretched, and Kakashi was impressed at the henge–nobody would guess that the real man was a Ninja nearly a foot taller than all the rest; you had to be small if you wanted to race competitively. Most jockeys only weighed a hundred pounds, and there were penalties if you were overweight on race day.

The trainer led "Narita" to the line of stables, and Kakashi didn't even blink when they entered the one belonging to Lord Osada.

Silently, Kakashi slipped behind the stables and approached them from the back, crouching underneath a window of Lord Osada's and peering up at the underside of a tan horse's throat. The horse whinnied at his presence, but nobody inside the stable took notice. His chakra presence was hidden, but just to make sure the horse didn't overreact, he went completely invisible as well. The jockey was the first to speak.

"I really wish you'd waited until noon like we planned; everyone would be heading out of the area then," Yamashiro Aoba began, and Kakashi pressed his lips at the aural confirmation of his supposition. There was a startled gasp.

"You…! What did you do with Narita? That wasn't part of the deal!" Lord Shimoda didn't sound happy. Kakashi heard the henge being released.

"Tch, he's fine," Aoba answered smugly. "I only borrowed his identity for a couple of hours. He's safe in the Stadium and I'll send him out once we're done, so there's no need to fuss." His voice lowered, "And no need to be hasty. We have an agreement."

"Yes," Lord Osada found his voice, "We do. And your part is only to keep the Uchiha from winning the Hunt, not to sabotage my jockey!"

"Hn," Aoba replied. Kakashi could hear footsteps; someone was pacing. Not Aoba. "Believe me. Uchiha Sasuke _won't _be advancing to the final round."

The three of them were quiet. This was an uneasy alliance, and Kakashi sifted through his memories to see if he could recall any personal reason Aoba would agree to go up against Sasuke. He could find none.

"Did you bring what I requested?" Aoba broke the silence.

Lord Shimoda answered, "Yes, though I'm a bit confused why–"

"–It's not important for you to understand," Aoba cut him off. Kakashi risked rising enough to peek over the window sill, careful not to bump into the horse. "I'm not fool enough to go up against an Uchiha without an advantage. It'll help during the Hunt, trust me."

"Now look here," Lord Osada started to interfere, bristling at Aoba's impertinence, but his cohort stopped him.

"Just get it," Shimoda pleaded, "So we can be done with this." Osada glared at him, but moved to a trunk and lifted the lid, withdrawing a deep, plastic case with a handle. It was covered with a tied cloth, almost like a Bento. He handed it over to Aoba, who peeked underneath the covering and gave a humorless smirk.

"Everyone's got their secrets," he commented to himself, straightening the cover. "Good. I'll send Narita back in time for the show, don't worry. Just be ready to pay me tomorrow when Uchiha Sasuke is out of the Hunt like you wanted."

Kakashi scooted away from the window as Aoba approached it, climbing past the tan horse to stand at the rear of the stable. Aoba made the seals, and teleported instantly, the case gripped tightly in his hand. He reappeared at the distant line of trees, and then leaped into them and out of sight.

Kakashi waited a tense two minutes for Shimoda and Osada to leave their stable to wait in the shade while their staff tended to their horses. The noises of grooming and so forth covered up his voice when he summoned Pakkun.

"Yo," the dog looked up at him quizzically. "Miss me already?"

"There's no time." Kakashi said quickly, then more gently, "Follow Aoba's trail." He pointed to the spot where the Jounin had stood right before he'd escaped, and then further into the distance. "He teleported to the far trees, over that way. Find out what he's got in the case; it's about this big." He gestured to indicate the size, and Pakkun nodded once.

He set his nose to the ground, and then took off, disappearing nearly as fast as if he'd teleported himself. Kakashi slumped back against the stable's wall. He didn't tell the Pug that this too was about Sasuke; he didn't think it would go over well.

The heat, the horses, the deceptions, and the players–he felt filthy with intrigue. He was definitely going to borrow more than just Iruka's soap when he finally got to shower.

Thank God Iruka never seemed to run out of clean, wholesome goodness.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke started to relax the closer he got to his part of town.

His simple errand had taken nearly an hour longer than it should have, but he thought he had a good chance of making it back before Naruto arrived. Although… the thought of seeing Naruto made him anxious in a different kind of way, a way that caused his brow to crease as he sought to comprehend how one person could make you so _eager _and so _nervous _at the same time.

Only a total idiot had that kind of talent.

He did his best to shake off the anxiety as he closed the distance to his house, comforted by the dwindling signs of habitation and Festival celebration the further he went. His brow creased again, however, when he sensed a large mass of people in an area that was supposed to be empty, and he descended to street level to investigate more effectively. He'd expected to find the two samurai, and could still sense them where he'd left them. But there was also something different.

Sasuke slipped through one of the many narrow alleyways that led to the main street stretching in front of his Clan's district. The high archway was a hundred yards away, but he could see a disturbance at the gates, and started to make his way closer when he caught sight of something distinctly orange at the base of a tree in front of him. Frowning, Sasuke moved silently and invisibly to see if he was right.

From four trees back, Sasuke could see Naruto facing towards the group ahead of them in a crouch, his broad shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Curious, Sasuke glanced up ahead to see what he was looking at, and then raised both his eyebrows at the sight of… _himself_?

What the _hell…_? And what the hell was "he" wearing?

Naruto had covered his mouth with his hands, but Sasuke could still hear trickles of his laughter as the clone–it couldn't be anything else–wearing his appearance approached the group from behind. Sasuke watched the scene analytically until the clone started behaving like a character out of one of Kakashi's Icha-Icha novels, and then he moved towards his teammate, making a fist against the urge to smack him for such cheesy dialogue.

What really stopped him from doing it was the sudden spark of inspiration; Sasuke grudgingly admitted to himself that it was a clever way of clearing the area. He'd have handled things differently, of course, but seeing his own image darting off like that made him consider a new and very interesting strategy for later that night. They'd have to practice it, but it might actually work.

The clone vanished into the maze of streets and Sasuke recognized the universal fangirl squeals, shivering in disgust as they took off after it. God he _hated _them. And now the clone made sense. He saw the last of them disappear, amused to see the two Samurai caught up in the fray, and then stood looming over the form of his teammate, who was giggling madly and completely unaware that he wasn't alone.

He looked down at Naruto, still laughing at his own genius. He waited for Naruto to notice him, but when it was clear the blond was stuck in his own instant-replay of the previous scene even after rising from the crouch, Sasuke decided he'd had enough of wasting time.

"Oi," he said, announcing his presence. Naruto's laughter stopped immediately, but he still stood there, frozen, afraid to turn around. Sasuke tried something else, raising his fist and bonking him like he hadn't had to do since they were Genin. At least… not _nearly _as often.

"Ow!" Naruto yelped and turned, rubbing his skull.

Sasuke smirked to see his eyes go very wide. _Gotcha_, he thought, seeing the guilt and panic on his rival's face. Naruto obviously hadn't intended his little charade to be witnessed.

"Ss-Ssss-_SASUKE_?"

Sasuke shook his head, seeing Naruto point at him and then burst into floundering gestures of explanation. "I… you see… the fangirls… it was… I mean… I didn't… so I… it just–"

"I see you still haven't learned how to pack," Sasuke cut off the babbling and nodded towards Naruto's enormous duffel bag, wondering what in God's name he'd stashed in there.

"What?" Naruto looked around his feet to see his luggage. "Well you _said _bring all my gear," he crossed his arms, defensive.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and then shook his head, moving past him and towards the Arch.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" he asked casually when he didn't hear Naruto's feet behind him. He glanced and saw Naruto break into smile; Sasuke turned away from it, focusing instead on the empty, quiet street.

Naruto caught up to him before long, carrying both the enormous duffel bag as well as the sack of explosives. Just the sight of the familiar bundle Naruto had lugged all over the village on _First Night_ made his stomach tingle with remembered longing. Sasuke tightened his hand on his own bundle from Kukaku's and firmly pushed the feeling away.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto began as they passed underneath the towering Arch.

Sasuke spared him a glance in response, leading them to his house. Naruto's grin was as bright and devilish as the midmorning sunshine as he pointed with his elbow towards Sasuke's parcel.

"Whatcha got in there? Strawberries?"

"Tch, moron." Sasuke turned his head to grace him with a heavy glare, and instantly regretted it.

Naruto's sassy smirk and blue eyes did funny, uninvited things with his imagination. Sasuke had a sudden image of both of them naked, naked and covered with strawberry pulp and seeds, Naruto grinding it into him and then licking it all off, sticky, sweaty… _Impossibly_, Sasuke thought he could taste it on the roof of his mouth then and there, and quickened his pace–it was alarming. He didn't even like sweets.

Naruto kept up with him, carrying such heavy bags without getting winded at all. Sasuke was thankful when they made it to his house. He was more than ready to focus on the important things; Naruto could be _very _distracting. He opened his front door.

"You had breakfast, I hope," he said, toeing off his sandals in the entryway.

Naruto chuckled behind him, "I had Ramen with Ero-Sennin. Did you know he's betting on me to win the Kunai?"

"Hmm," Sasuke replied, not terribly surprised that the Frog Hermit was in town since there was a Festival. He always showed up when there would be a lot of ladies around, and he usually sought Naruto out as well. It was interesting he was part of the gambling, Sasuke hadn't seen him at registration.

Naruto set his bags down with a thump and kicked his sandals off. "So what do you want to do first, Sasuke?"

He led the way up the stairs. "Bring that stuff with you. I want to go through all your weapons and make sure we have everything we need."

Naruto followed his lead up to the second floor, and Sasuke opened the door to the strategy room. Their notes from the previous evening were still strewn on the low table where they'd left them, but Sasuke walked neatly around the table to the doorway on the opposite side instead.

"This is the Weapons room," he told his rival, sliding the door open and crossing the threshold.

The Weapons room was much larger than the living room, though it was on the same side of the house. It had racks of _everything _along the perimeter; flak-jackets, holsters, sandals for all terrain, spinning fixtures loaded with shuriken or other projectiles, wall mounts with larger and more exotic weapons at the far end. There were two benches that ran along the narrow ends of a waist-high table, right in the center of it all. Sasuke had set out his own choices of gear on one half of this.

"Whoa–_awesome_!" Naruto said, dropping his bags where he stood in the doorway.

His eyes were wide and gleaming as they took in the sight of so many weapons in one place, and Sasuke watched him with concealed amusement, comparing the hunger he saw now with the hunger he'd seen last night when Naruto was eyeing all the books and scrolls in the cramped Strategy room.

Naruto slowly moved around, examining things with a careful touch, "Where did you get all these?"

Sasuke shrugged, frowning at the question. He moved to the table and set his Kukaku's bag down. "My family used to head the Police Department," he answered.

Naruto met his eyes across the room, serious, knowing. But he moved along and didn't ask any more questions. Sasuke reminded himself that Naruto could be sensitive when he wanted to be.

"You know what this reminds me of?" The blond said, smirking and moving to the wall with several Naginata. Sasuke folded his arms and waited.

Naruto turned to him and grinned, "This is kinda like the Hokage closet!" Sasuke rifled through his memories until he retrieved the one where Naruto had told him where his Yukata had come from.

"It was huge! And mostly full of clothes," Naruto rubbed a hand through his hair sheepishly, "But there was this one room in the back. It had armor and weapons, and all the special things belonging to the previous Hokage. Even the Fourth had stuff in there."

Sasuke watched Naruto's face grow determined as he remembered what he'd seen there, his hand reaching up to press against the necklace Sasuke knew was under his orange and black jacket. It made Sasuke's own throat tingle, right before the rest of him remembered how the Fourth's Yukata had shielded them while they thrust against each other on Naruto's floor. He swallowed down an echo of the cry he remembered making as their first shared passion had burst its slickness onto their bellies.

"You know," Naruto continued, totally unaware of the thoughts that had just been on Sasuke's mind, "I'm going to have stuff in there one day too. That's going to be _my _closet, right Sasuke?" He grinned, his chest puffed out, and Sasuke's heart blocked his voice box for a moment. He swallowed again, taking a deep breath. He had to get a hold of himself–it wasn't normal for Naruto to affect him like this.

"Well you can start by setting your things out here," Sasuke indicated the empty half of the table in front of him, trying to get them back on track.

Naruto nodded and brought his bags over. While he was setting things out by type, Sasuke moved over to his end and retrieved Itachi's jar. "By the way, I know what this is."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto asked, his eyes curious and interested.

"Or at least part of it," Sasuke amended, unscrewing the lid. He'd never assume that he'd figured out all there was to know about something that had once belonged to his brother.

Naruto paused so they both could look at it, and Sasuke dipped his finger into the yellowish grease and spread it between fingers and thumb. "It's a type of bug repellant."

"Aaaaah!" Naruto said excitedly, "Then it's really Shino's? Why'd Itachi have it then?"

Sasuke shrugged, using his dry fingers to twist the lid back in place. "It might not be Shino's; Itachi could have made it himself. He might have put ABURAME on the label because it's related to their Clan's abilities; it obviously wouldn't work against any other Clan."

"Hmm," Naruto leaned his hands on the table, considering. "But why would Itachi make something to use against the Aburame clan?"

Sasuke shrugged. How could he explain his brother if Naruto had never met him?

Naruto continued, "I think it probably came from them instead. I forgot about this one mission I had to go on, I think you were away, but Shino had this stuff that no bugs would go near, and we used it to hide something important for the mission, so that these other creepy people with bees and stuff couldn't get it, and Hinata was kidnapped by them at one point–"

Sasuke held up a hand before Naruto got going on one of his stories that made no sense. "The important thing is that we've got it, and Shino's bugs won't be able to attack us if we put it on before the Hunt."

"Oh, right," Naruto chuckled, his voice intense from imagining the upcoming battles. "It'll be interesting to fight him without his bugs."

Sasuke nodded, rubbing the excess ointment onto his other hand. "We'll wait until we're getting ready to leave before putting it on; I'm not sure how long the effect will last."

"Okay," Naruto agreed, continuing to unpack his weapons onto the table. Sasuke was pleased to see the flak-jacket; Naruto hardly ever wore it even though they were common sense and standard issue. The fact that he'd brought it was a good sign that he was taking things seriously.

Sasuke relaxed into the comfort of tactical analysis, and in no time they'd gone through the weapons, the explosives, and all the combatants to finalize the details. They'd decided to use their regular code-phrase for the times they'd be separated, to make sure nobody tricked them. After so many years, he hoped Naruto finally had it memorized, since the only other person who knew about it was Sakura, and she was out of the country.

It felt good to focus on something they were both suited for, and aside from Naruto's irritating insistence that he'd definitely be able to take out Ebisu, and his refusal to elaborate on exactly _why _he was so confident, Sasuke was pleased with their final plans. He was just about ready to suggest they head outside for their intensive practice session, when Naruto finally noticed what had been next to him for over half an hour.

"Oh _wow_…" Naruto's interjection was way off topic, and so Sasuke didn't even bother to look right away, since he was busy re-reading the notes he'd retrieved from the other room. Naruto's next words definitely caught his attention.

"Where on earth did you get these, Sasuke?"

He frowned, and looked up to see what Naruto was talking about. Naruto had unfolded the leather pants from where he'd set them in a neat pile just that morning and was laying them across the surface of the table. His rival brushed his palm down the gleaming surface of one of the legs, and Sasuke could almost feel that same hand on his thigh. His skin grew warm, and he couldn't make himself look away; he was grateful Naruto wasn't looking at him while he did it.

Sasuke's pulse sped up at Naruto's curious investigations of the various buckles and straps, none of it overtly suggestive, but his gut clenched tight. He felt all of it as if he were wearing the pants himself, stretched out on the pile of shuriken while Naruto touched him through the leather. He wondered if Naruto would take the time to undo all the buckles, or if he'd simply tear through whatever he had to, to get them off and—

The idea was horribly arousing, and Sasuke was shocked by it. _Why _did he keep imagining these things? He was attracted to Naruto, but that wasn't the shocking part. What shocked him was that somehow his fantasies had taken a turn, a turn he was pretty sure he didn't like.

It was one thing for Naruto to show him that he had a sensitive neck, finding out by accident when they were fooling around. It was something else for Naruto to show him how powerful he was, and how good his power tasted, even coupled with the aches and bruises of fighting each other full out before ending up in the grass.

Sasuke salivated at the memory, and then got angry–the whole situation was ridiculous. "None of your business," he answered with a glare.

Naruto looked over at him, confused, "Hey, I was just asking."

Sasuke scowled, and set their notes in a neat pile with the rest of their things. "Just put them back where you found them. We've got a lot to practice, in case you forgot." He opened his bag from Kukaku's.

Naruto's eyes darkened, "What's your problem, all of a sudden?" He folded them like he'd been asked and put them almost in the same spot. Sasuke fixated on the error; it made him feel better.

"Here," he tossed Naruto a torch and an arm-guard that he'd bought that morning. "We're going to see if you can learn how to use these before dark. You'll need the torch you bought as well." Naruto caught them easily, but was still scowling. It helped Sasuke relax a bit more, and he took his own torches and led the way out of the room.

"You have to learn stuff too you know," Naruto insisted from behind him on the stairs.

Sasuke smirked, even though Naruto couldn't see it. He made sure his voice was condescending to make up for it. "_Anyone_ can use Kage-Bunshin."

"But not like me," Naruto was quick to defend, serious.

Sasuke sighed as they went through the door. "You're right. I bet you're the only Ninja who's ever used one against _fangirls_." His sarcasm didn't go unnoticed.

"Oi!" Naruto protested, scowling as they circled the house to the back courtyard. "At least it got rid of them so we can train. And nobody knows I'm here. So don't forget all the things I _can _do, Sasuke."

Sasuke didn't respond, walking with purpose towards the lake. Naruto sounded worked up in exactly the way Sasuke wanted, and he smiled on the inside. Now they could train properly, like the teammates they'd always been. Like teammates _should_. No distractions. Only combat and strategy. Weapons, open space, and hard, demanding taijutsu moves. It would keep them nice and busy.

"Come on, Moron," he jerked his chin towards the water's surface. "We've got work to do."

* * *

--

* * *

When the sun hovered directly over the village, everyone began to move towards the Stadium for the big Show. Kakashi kept his eye on the key people, but his mind played ping-pong between Pakkun and Iruka.

He was worried. His boyfriend was somewhere in the village while the Viper's daughter was biding her time until she struck. Pakkun hadn't reported back to him yet. Narita the jockey had returned in time to get ready for the Show, like Aoba had promised, even rubbing his eyes sleepily just like Aoba had mimicked. But there was still no sign of his dog.

Shizune had left exactly when her personal rules of etiquette decreed, and Hinata and Hana had finished their mini-lesson and were now busy tending to the various horses that had minor injuries. Kakashi was reasonably sure that there was nothing further to be gained from any of them.

That, of course, left only the Princess.

To further distract him from the mission, Kakashi was hungry again. He changed his henge as he entered the Stadium, going immediately to the first food stand near the stairs and buying whatever they served, which happened to be Dango. He thanked the proprietor and moved further into the enclosure, holding the five skewers like a fistful of Senbon out of long habit.

The center of the Stadium had been rearranged with a square corral in the center, the inside landscaped to an even plane. There were stands for spectators on the ground level, with special boxes for the Lords, and Kakashi stood in the shade of an interior passage and watched them get settled while he ate.

Then he approached the nearest Stadium employee, "Excuse me, did you happen to work last night?"

The man smiled, "No sir, I'm only a daytime worker. The evening crew doesn't come on until 5:00pm. Something I can help you with?"

Kakashi smiled, and waved it off, "Not really, thanks." He sighed, and finished up the Dango. So much for questioning the employees.

The horse show began like most, with much parading and pomp, and Kakashi watched it halfheartedly from the cool shadows where he could observe Tomoko and Hisagi. The princess was fanning herself, as were several of the Lords, but nobody seemed to be making any moves.

Kakashi was frustrated at all the inaction–he couldn't even read any of his Icha-Icha novels. The real ones even. He was sick of only watching and waiting behind the scenes, deducing that he'd probably be much more patient if it wasn't someone he was in love with that was the next target. He gnawed on the last of his Dango skewers and thought of Genma for the second time that day, rolling the thin wood over his teeth. Tomoko stood up, and Kakashi straightened, watching.

"The sun is really too much, father," she fanned herself dramatically. "I'm going to sit up there in the shade for a bit."

She gestured up into the empty stands where Kakashi had sat with the others for the Opening Ceremony, and the Daimyo scowled at her. Fujimiya exchanged a glance with Hisagi, who nodded sagely. Fujimiya then nodded to the Daimyo, who waved his fat hand dismissively, and then requested a drink from his closest servant.

Tomoko bowed deferentially to her father, and excused herself, with Hisagi and the shy maid following her out of the box and onto the grassy pathway, and finally into the interior of the Stadium complex. Kakashi held his position, letting the three walk past him while he kept his face turned to the horse who had just been led into the square corral to prance around. Tomoko's smirk was a bit more mischievous than usual, and once they'd turned the corner he fell in behind them, grinding his teeth in anticipation.

"I thought we might have to do this," a woman commented, and Kakashi was startled to realize that it was the maid who had spoken.

"Yep," Tomoko grinned, hurrying down the fluorescent-lit hallway to a janitor's closet. She tried the knob, and when it twisted open she smiled over her shoulder at the other two.

"We'll be quick," she winked at Hisagi, and turned her body to let the maid, Shizuka, slip past her through the doorway, already tugging at her head scarf. Kakashi caught sight of long dark hair before the door closed, Hisagi taking up position outside the room.

Kakashi, in the henge, casually moved down the hall flipping through a program for the Show and making himself inconspicuous. When Hisagi wasn't looking, he ducked behind a trash receptacle, and peered between it and the wall, to see another samurai join the group. They spoke softly, but herecognized Ito by his similar dark hair–Kakashi's brain suddenly made the connection.

So _that's _what they were up to. Very clever, Princess Tomoko. Clever indeed.

A minute more and the closet door opened. Shizuka's long dark hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and when wearing the Princess' black and yellow outfit they easily could have been twins. In contrast, Tomoko had let her hair fall loose; the scarf was tied like a bandana, although the change into common garb didn't diminish her presence or dampen the mischief in her grin.

Impulsively, she clasped her maid to her, "Thank you, Shizuka. This shouldn't take long!"

Shizuka squirmed from the sudden embrace, her cheeks flushing crimson. When Tomoko released her, she tried to recover by doing a great impression of the Princess' laugh. She grinned and tossed her hair, "Ha, ha, ha–it's nothing."

Tomoko also clasped Ito's forearm, "And thanks to you too, Ito-san."

"Princess-sama," Ito gave a small bow, the reverence genuine.

Tomoko moved towards Hisagi, and Shizuka led the replacement Samurai over to the steps where they soon disappeared. Kakashi was truly impressed with Shizuka; she'd done such a good job being the invisible handmaiden that nobody would suspect a thing. He had no doubts that when the Lords saw her with Ito in the stands, they would all assume it was Tomoko and Hisagi, without noticing the absence of the maid. The princess had bought herself quite a bit of time.

Tomoko flashed a toothy grin at her guard, and they made their way directly to the exit. Kakashi followed them out into the front of the Stadium, smirking at the archaic form of deception. It almost made him _like _Tomoko; she was creative and spunky, and had unexpected allies everywhere.

Still… _almost_.

She had something up her sleeve, and he was prepared to stop her from harming Iruka at all costs.

They made their way through the celebrating village, Tomoko grinning at the small ounce of freedom from her real identity, though Hisagi still took her protection seriously. He allowed her to purchase a Happi-coat at one of the stands for him to wear over his uniform, to help hide the severity of his Shijimi-clan Samurai robes. It didn't look half bad on him. But that was as relaxed as he got.

They seemed to have no real destination, Tomoko carving a path based on something Kakashi couldn't quite figure out. It was when she'd found a cluster of laughing children that she got more excited, and Hisagi followed close behind as she rushed over to them. They were watching a Festival performer juggling on a unicycle, and Tomoko knelt down in their seated group and watched along with them, grinning and clapping her hands at the appropriate times.

"Who are you, nee-chan?" A little girl asked, and Tomoko grinned.

"Shhh!" she held a finger to her lips, "It's a secret!"

The girl's eyes got very wide. "I can keep a secret!" she insisted, and Tomoko laughed.

"You must be a Ninja then!" the Princess smiled, smoothing the girl's hair off her face. "Are you?"

"Yes!" the girl grinned back at her, "I just started in the Academy this year!"

"Wow!" Tomoko beamed at her, "Who is your sensei?"

"Mozuku-sensei!" the girl answered immediately, with pride.

Tomoko inclined her head, "Not Umino Iruka? I heard he's a good teacher."

The girl shook her head, "Not until next year. But Keiko-chan has Iruka-sensei this year!"

The girl turned to her friend, tugging on her sleeve, and Kakashi recognized the second girl from _First Night_, wearing a much less flowery Yukata than before.

"You're Keiko-chan?" Tomoko asked the second girl, and Keiko nodded, skeptical. Tomoko smiled, holding out her hand, "Nice to meet you." Tomoko gestured for Hisagi to come over, "This is my brother." Kakashi snickered under his breath.

Keiko shook her hand as the Samurai approached, eyeing the two of them warily, and Tomoko laughed, "I'm a friend of Iruka-sensei."

Keiko's whole face lit up, "Iruka-sensei!"

"You know him?" Tomoko asked, smirking, and the girl nodded excitedly.

"Iruka-sensei is the best teacher in the whole wide world!"

Kakashi's heart leapt to hear it, though he kept in mind that this was all a wicked deception on the part of the Princess.

"So I hear!" Tomoko agreed, laughing.

Keiko held her fists to her face with glee, "Are… are you… Are you his girlfriend?" She squealed, and Tomoko laughed heartily. She considered the question, and then spread her hands in a gesture that could mean anything. Keiko squealed again.

"I knew it!" Keiko squealed, and grabbed the arm of yet another girl. "Haruka! Haruka!" The third girl turned around, annoyed by the disturbance.

Keiko kept talking, "This is Iruka-sensei's girlfriend!"

Kakashi gaped nearly as much as Haruka at this news. _Good grief!_

"Aaaah… pretty!" Haruka commented with big eyes, much to Tomoko's delight.

"Oh no," she waved it off, laughing. "But… We were supposed to have lunch, but I can't seem to find him today. Do you know where he might be?"

"Did you try the Academy?" Keiki asked.

"Do you think he's there?" Tomoko looked forlorn, and the girls ate it up.

"He's always at the Academy," they answered in unison, and Tomoko pouted.

"I don't know which way to go."

"We'll take you!" Keiko and Haruka squealed, and Tomoko beamed at them.

"But I have to ask my Mom first," Keiko added.

"Okay, go ask. I'll wait." Tomoko smiled, rising while the two girls found Keiko's mother not too far away. The woman listened, and then turned to regard the Princess. She broke out in a giant smile and all three of them came shuffling over to Tomoko.

"Oh!" Keiko's mother exclaimed, taking Tomoko's hand with both of hers, "Oh I'm so happy to meet you!"

Tomoko laughed, squeezing her hands and then withdrawing gracefully. "Your daughter is very kind to help me."

"She's a good girl, our Keiko!" the woman continued, nodding her head at the compliment. "We're just so excited that Iruka-sensei has finally found himself a nice, pretty girl!"

Tomoko had the grace to blush, "Really… we're only friends…" But her coy downward glance let Keiko's mother believe anything she wanted. Kakashi clenched his teeth.

"Of course, of course," the woman nodded knowingly. Then she pat the heads of her daughter and her friend. "Now you two take this nice lady to see our favorite teacher, okay? And then come right back here."

"Yes!" Keiko and Haruka agreed in unison, and they each grabbed one of Tomoko's hands and led her off at a fast pace through the streets of Konoha.

Kakashi followed, pausing to spit out the Dango skewer that he'd gnawed through, and catching Tomoko's sly glance over her shoulder at her Samurai lover. Hisagi watched everything with tolerance, following her like he always did.

The girls were good for their word, taking the Princess swiftly to the front of the Academy. Kakashi had quickly hid himself up in his usual Iruka-spying tree, and so he was the first to notice that the school yard wasn't empty. He looked down on the two shinobi eating lunch, and watched as the Princess came on the scene.

On a checkered blanket, one was busily eating handfuls of food from multiple containers. The other was flat on his back, watching the cloudless sky with a lazy expression, his empty lunch dishes beside him.

"Shikamaru-sensei!" Keiko squealed happily, waving with the hand that wasn't clasping Tomoko's. Haruka ducked behind Tomoko's back, her cheeks bright red.

Shikamaru turned his head and took in the newcomers, his expression unchanging. "Hello there," he greeted them, reluctantly rising from his spot to a seated position and scratching the back of his head underneath his ponytail. He glanced at Chouji who kept eating happily, smiling in his benign way.

"We're here to see Iruka-sensei!" Keiko announced, and Kakashi watched Tomoko smile at the Chuunin with every bit of charm she could muster.

"Is that so," Shikamaru commented, yawning.

"I'm a friend of his, have you seen him?" Tomoko asked, and Kakashi saw Shikamaru raise a brow and regard her critically.

"He's probably training for the Hunt. It starts tonight you know," Shikamaru replied.

"Oh," Keiko said, disappointed.

"Doesn't he train in the Restricted Area with you, Shikamaru?" Chouji offered helpfully, eating potato chips and smiling at the girls. Shikamaru glanced at him, not commenting further.

"If it's not too much trouble," Tomoko took a step forward, brushing her long hair back from her shoulder, "Can you tell us how to get there?"

"Oh, you have to be a teacher to use that place," Chouji informed them.

"But she has to see Iruka-sensei!" Keiko argued. "She's his girlfriend!"

"_Girlfriend_?" Chouji started, hand halfway to his mouth.

Shikamaru sighed, "Oh boy…" He slowly got up, brushing off his dark pants and adjusting his flak jacket, taking his time.

"I guess I can show you there," he yawned, coming towards the group. "You two go on back, okay? Keiko-chan, Haruka-chan?" Keiko grinned up at him, and he pat her head, much like her mother had. Haruka gave a fearful peep from behind Tomoko, and the Princess chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling.

"Run along," Shikamaru said, and Haruka suddenly grabbed Keiko's hand and dragged her away, using her hair to cover her face so she wouldn't have to see–or be seen by–Shikamaru-sensei.

"My thanks," Tomoko grinned, and Shikamaru shrugged.

"I'll be back soon, Chouji," he called, "This won't take long." He turned and set off around the side of the Academy, expecting to be followed. Kakashi silently descended from the tree.

Tomoko quickened her step to fall in beside the teacher, Hisagi not far behind. "So how long have you known Iruka-sensei?"

Shikamaru looked at her, "He was my Sensei once."

"Oh," Tomoko smirked, approving. "Then he really is as good as they say, to have mentored a student into a teacher."

Shikamaru gazed at her in his calculating, yet indifferent way. He shrugged again, putting his hands in his pockets. "I'd expect his _girlfriend _to already know."

Kakashi was amused at the slight flicker that threw off her practiced expression. Tomoko chuckled, "Ah, well, Keiko-chan got a little carried away…" She tried to look apologetic, but it didn't quite work.

The Chuunin didn't respond, simply taking them through the forest behind the Academy where Kakashi knew the Restricted Area was located. It wasn't as big or as dangerous as some of the ones he used, but this training area served its purpose. He remembered well the times he'd watched Iruka practicing, before their friendship had given him opportunities to get his fix without resorting to ninja trickery.

Shikamaru opened the gate, and Tomoko and Hisagi exchanged a glance before passing through. Kakashi followed them to a clearing, and was surprised they found Iruka so easily–but there he was, absolutely stunning with his hair mussed, his brow sweaty, and a smile glowing on his face.

Kakashi then noticed that Mozuku was also present, standing close to Iruka. They both looked over when Shikamaru called to them, and Kakashi chose a hiding place just at the perimeter of the clearing, noting that Mozuku didn't look like he'd been training.

"Oi, Iruka-sensei," Shikamaru called. "Someone to see you."

Iruka rubbed the back of his hand across his forehead underneath the hitai-ate, tucking a stray piece of hair behind his ear. He moved closer, Mozuku staying to back him up on the left, and held his hand up to block the intense sunlight. He regarded the newcomers for a moment before speaking, lips pressed thin.

"Princess Tomoko," Iruka nodded stiffly, though politely, and Kakashi was proud that he'd seen through her. Mozuku was the only one to gasp from surprise. Tomoko smirked, her attention all on Iruka with her eyes sparkling.

Shikamaru shook his head, rubbing his neck. "I'll leave her to you, then, Iruka. Good day, highness." And with that, Shikamaru left.

Tomoko took a step forward, her hands on her hips. "Well! We meet at last, _Iruka-sensei_."

* * *

[to be continued...]


	14. Chapter 14

**

* * *

**

**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 14:

* * *

Iruka was sweaty, dirty, and exhilarated from training out in the sun by the time someone else entered into the Restricted Area. It didn't sound like any of the teachers he'd already seen that day.

A man's voice called his name, and Iruka finished up his pattern of lunges to stand breathless in the sun.

"Over here," he called back, sheathing his katana and leaning over to ease the strain on his lungs. Maybe it was time for a break.

"There you are," Mozuku came into the clearing, his hands in his pockets. Iruka smiled to see his friend.

"Mozuku!" Iruka waved, straightening and shaking the sweat from his face and neck. He was happy for the distraction, and even happier that it was Mozuku who'd dropped by–he still felt bad for what had happened between them yesterday.

"I ran into Shikamaru. He told me I'd find you here," Mozuku said as he crossed the thick grass.

"Yeah, he was here earlier on," Iruka replied, "But he went to have lunch."

"Yeah," Mozuku laughed. "And Chouji's a good teammate to share lunch with."

Iruka laughed with him, "I'd eat lunch with Chouji any day!"

"Actually, that's why I'm here," Mozuku paused. "I thought maybe you'd be ready to grab a bite."

"You know, that sounds really good. But my treat, ok?" Iruka touched his neck. "I… I really shouldn't have snapped at you yesterday."

Mozuku chuckled, "It's forgotten. I shouldn't have interfered; they're your students."

"_Were_, you mean," Iruka gave him a wry smile, shaking his head. He sighed, "Were my students. They're Kakashi's now."

Mozuku shrugged, "Well, they're still ours even when they're not, I think. If you only needed Jounin then there would be no Chuunin at the Academy, right?"

Iruka grinned, his heart lightening. "Well when you put it like that, it makes perfect sense."

It was true–Naruto had come to _him _and not Kakashi when he'd been confused and upset a week ago. He probably went to Kakashi for loads of things, but there was still a place for him to play the mentor role, even if Naruto had graduated to bigger techniques. And _especially _since he'd graduated to bigger kinds of challenges.

"Besides," Mozuku smirked, "Imagine someone like the great Sharingan Kakashi teaching a six year old how to throw a shuriken! Good lord, I'd pay to see that!"

Iruka shook his head, grinning, "I bet Kakashi would be just as good at that as you or I, Mozuku." He laughed, "Though it's true that a lot of Jounin seem terrified of small children."

"Exactly!" Mozuku laughed along with him. "So you wanna get some lunch?" he asked again, smiling back.

Iruka grinned, his belly more than ready for another helping of something tasty. "Where do you want to go?" Mozuku opened his mouth to reply, just as they heard footsteps approaching.

"Oi, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka turned at the sound of Shikamaru's voice.

"Someone to see you."

Iruka looked over the three new arrivals, moving closer to them while Mozuku stayed where he was. Iruka dabbed at the sweat under his forehead protector and tucked a piece of hair securely behind his ear while he made his observations.

The woman was familiar even in her plain garb; she'd made it rather hard to forget her face after her ridiculous, shameful performance at registration. Iruka's expression tightened at the sight of her, his heart wrenching with the knowledge that she was half responsible for the horrible situation between his students.

Iruka didn't recognize the man behind her, but the yellow and black showing from underneath the Festival Happi-coat declared his patronage for him. The man didn't flinch under Iruka's sweeping gaze, though his hand did move to rest on the hilt of his Katana, a reflex action that displayed his skill. Iruka turned back to the Daimyo's daughter.

"Princess Tomoko," he nodded stiffly, though politely, choosing to get things out in the open. Mozuku gasped next to him, but Shikamaru showed no surprise and only shook his head.

Tomoko seemed pleased, which made Iruka frown harder–he'd expected to throw her off by revealing her identity. He was glad for the Katana at his back in case she tried anything like she'd done with Sasuke–his blood ran hot in his veins, and not just from the long morning of training. She remained still, regarding him with an expression he couldn't quite decipher.

Shikamaru rubbed his neck, ready to go. "I'll leave her to you, then, Iruka. Good day, highness." Iruka was aware of his colleague leaving the premises, but kept his eyes straight ahead.

Tomoko took a step forward, her hands on her hips. "Well! We meet at last, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka forced a smile, hoping formality would hide his ill forebodings. "The honor is mine, Princess Shijimi. But this is no place for a Princess–why are you here?"

Tomoko grinned, shifting her weight onto one foot. "To learn things."

"To learn things?" Iruka repeated, unsure of how to interpret her real meaning. He glanced at Mozuku, who seemed just as confused as he was.

"You are an Academy instructor, I believe?" She replied, taking another step closer.

"Of course, but," Iruka shook his head, "I teach _children_. I can't see how that would help you."

"Hn," Tomoko looked thoughtful, glancing at the raven-haired man with her. "Then how about a friendly match? I see you are also a swordsman."

Her guard stepped forward, meeting Iruka's eyes, "I'd be pleased to spar with you, Umino-san." He gave a small bow, and made ready.

Iruka bit his tongue to try and keep from getting angry. What the hell was this really about? What were they doing here? And why _him_? He felt like they were toying with him, and he didn't like it at all.

He spread his hands, shaking his head and smiling as genuinely as he could. He didn't have time for this. And he'd beat the Samurai too easily, anyhow.

"I'm sorry, but I really must decline," he said, choosing diplomacy and moving closer to usher them out of the Restricted Area. "It's not really a good time, as I am in the middle of training for tonight's competition, so…" He gestured to indicate the pathway behind them that led out of the training grounds.

Tomoko smirked, and Iruka heard the noise of the guard's draw but stayed exactly where he was; it had to be a bluff. He concentrated his chakra. Sure enough, the Samurai lunged for him, the blade of his katana held inches from his throat, the point of the Wakizashi inches from his gut.

While the guard was distracted, surprised by the fact that he hadn't been blocked, Iruka made a succession of hand-seals and activated the chakra he had gathered–it was the only option he had that wouldn't involve drawing any of his own weapons.

To someone less than a Chuunin, it would only look like a breeze had stirred through the area, rustling the trees and grass and sweeping across everyone's face. But Iruka used the genjutsu to step away from the guard, leaving an illusion-self in his place. He moved out of range of the blades, the genjutsu including other illusions of himself both behind the Samurai, and beside the Princess, each holding a Kunai to their prey.

Hisagi twitched when he suddenly saw the Kunai in his peripheral vision, pointed at f his neck. Iruka kept invisible by the illusion, exchanging a brief glance with Mozuku, who had two fingers pressed to his lips and was watching with an amused expression.

"Now what will you do?" Iruka's illusions asked both the Samurai and the Princess, neither of whom dared to move. The illusion would seem very real to them, and Iruka could tell the guard was quickly weighing the odds of being able to save the two of them without injury, unnerved at not being able to trust his eyesight. His jaw clenched from the stress.

Tomoko, of course, threw back her head and laughed. Iruka saw her bodyguard scowl, his tense eyes flicking towards her. She clapped her hands, delighted.

"Very nice, Iruka-sensei! As to be expected from a Konoha Academy teacher. We are humbly at your mercy."

Iruka dispelled the genjutsu with a pop, and both Tomoko and her guard did a double take to find him standing several feet from his original position. Iruka didn't need to look pleased, Mozuku was doing it for him, smirking for all he was worth.

The guard put his swords away, watching him with a different kind of calculation, and Iruka felt a stab of guilt. Tomoko might have guessed what he'd done, but this man obviously didn't know as much as she did about the range of ninja techniques.

Iruka went over to him and held out his hand, offering his real smile for the first time. "I guess I got carried away." He glanced at the Princess, "I don't like being tested."

The guard hesitated, but then took his hand. It was strong; a warrior's hand. "I think I'd still like that match. But another time, perhaps."

Iruka laughed, shaking his hand firmly, "You got it. Name?"

"Hisagi. Hisagi Kei."

Iruka let go, chuckling. "I guess you already know mine." He looked back at the Princess, who was watching the exchange with a coyness that irked him. The smile slid down his face, and he turned to her with as much friendliness as he could muster.

"I'd rather not have this turn unpleasant, Princess Shijimi, as you are a guest of the Hokage. But my friend and I were just about to have lunch." Iruka folded his arms across his flak-jacket.

"Of course, Umino-san," the Princess nodded, spreading her hands in apology. "We did not intend to disturb you. I only wanted to meet the sensei I'd heard so much about."

Iruka's brow furrowed, and he dropped his arms to his sides. What did that mean? "Well," He hesitated, "I don't know what you've heard, but I'm just–" He glanced at Mozuku, at a loss.

"–Too modest," Mozuku finished, chuckling. He came to stand beside Iruka, his voice casual, with only the tiniest hint of threat. "Iruka-sensei is one of Konoha's best. Make no mistake." Iruka flushed, waving it aside.

"I can see he has a lot to offer," Tomoko replied, arching an elegant brow, and Iruka opened his mouth to deny it, feeling very uncomfortable. Tomoko continued, "It's no surprise, when you consider the talent of his students."

Iruka closed his mouth sharply, senses suddenly more alert. She was talking about _Sasuke_; she had to be. He was the only link connecting him to her, if you could call what had happened yesterday a connection. Iruka looked at Tomoko while she looked at him; neither blinked. He could feel his brows slide together from the irritation.

"You won't find my students ill-prepared, Princess," Iruka raised his chin an inch to show his conviction. If she thought she could cause more trouble than she had already, he was ready to prove her wrong.

Tomoko gave him a small nod, "People say you can judge a teacher by the quality of their pupils."

"And the quality of a leader by the way they treat their subordinates," Iruka countered, glancing at the serious, quiet Samurai. Mozuku was also quiet throughout the exchange, though Iruka could tell he was ready to back him up if it should prove necessary.

After a tense moment, Tomoko gave a dry chuckle. "I apologize for being curious; as I said, I've heard much about the shinobi that graduate from your classroom."

"You seem to be fond of tests, Princess," Iruka commented. "Have you learned what you wanted to learn?"

She smirked, and Iruka was reminded of a cat; he could imagine a long tail twitching behind her to match her internal musings. She looked at her guard for a long moment, while the guard continued to watch only him.

The Princess met Iruka's brown eyes. "Both you and I come from worlds where an indirect approach is common sense," Tomoko's voice seemed tired. "I see now that perhaps in your case, Umino-san, directness might have been a better choice."

Iruka frowned. Would it have helped if she'd been direct when she'd first come into the training grounds? Was she being direct now? He wasn't sure there was anything she could say or do that would crack through his predetermined dislike. She'd dug herself a fairly deep grave with all the antics, and not just the ones here.

He sighed, scratching his nose and tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear, thinking of something he'd been taught a long time ago. He spoke to himself as much as to her. "If you only look for enemies, enemies are all you'll find. But a true shinobi learns to look below the surface, and then underneath that to find the truth."

"You are very wise, Umino-san." Tomoko inclined her head. The remark was surprisingly open.

Iruka chuckled, shaking his head. He'd heard it from Kakashi often enough. "Not really. I just try to learn something from everyone. Especially from those who are too smart for their own good."

She raised a curious eyebrow, and Iruka felt a slight flush on his cheeks. Why did it always happen when he was thinking of Kakashi? He scratched his neck, glancing away from the intensity of the Princess' stare.

"I see," she said finally. "I wonder if you might give me a tour of the Academy?"

He wasn't sure what he saw in her face–thirst? Iruka considered, though it was an odd request. "I would, but I'd have to have Tsunade-sama's permission."

"I see," Tomoko half-smiled a glimpse beneath her Princess persona. "And the Hokage is the one who assigns the students to the teachers, I take it?"

Iruka nodded, trying to decide if there was anything in the question that he shouldn't answer. If she was trying to get information on Sasuke, hearing that the Hokage had put him in his classroom wasn't anything she could use against them, could she? She'd all but admitted that she knew Sasuke had studied under him at the academy, so he hadn't told her anything she didn't already know.

His eyes widened in surprise when Tomoko actually bowed to him, "You have been a great help, Umino-sensei. I shall take my leave; I've no wish to further disturb your training." She raised herself, standing regally in the sunshine once more. "Thank you very much."

"Er… no problem," Iruka replied, a little unsure of what all this meant. He still didn't quite trust her motives. "Only–" He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts once more. "I take being a teacher very seriously. And I always look out for my students."

"Especially the hyperactive blond," Mozuku said under his breath, and Iruka turned to gape at his friend.

"Pardon?" Tomoko asked, though Iruka thought she'd probably heard it anyhow.

Mozuku gave him a sly wink while answering, "Here's a lesson for you, Princess: Don't go playing any games with Uzumaki Naruto, or you'll have to answer to Iruka-sensei."

"_Mozuku_," Iruka slugged him on the shoulder hard enough to show his indignation, and then a second time for the embarrassment. The other teacher chuckled, moving a half-step further away.

"Uzumaki Naruto?" The Princess repeated, confused, "The Chuunin who shouted at everyone during registration? You mean _he's _one of your students?"

Iruka glared at all of them, even the Samurai. "Uzumaki Naruto is a fine shinobi of the highest caliber, and yes, he did graduate from my class." He waited for any further disparaging comments, forming a mental list of all of Naruto's best qualities in order to make a swift counterattack.

"I look forward to watching him in the Hunt, then," Tomoko declared, and he wanted to smack her for sounding so indulgent.

"As do I," Hisagi agreed, and Iruka expected to see sarcasm somewhere on his face. But the quiet Samurai was no less serious in the sentiment than he had been about his patron's safety. "He's a warrior, underneath."

Iruka smiled at the practical application of his lover's famous teaching. "Yes, he is." Iruka wondered if he would be friends with Hisagi were the situation a bit different; he thought Naruto would definitely like him.

"Then we shall be on our way, Umino-sensei." Tomoko bowed respectfully, making him feel slightly awkward, especially when her guard did the same thing. "Thank you again for the lessons. I won't forget."

"Er… You're welcome," Iruka replied, touching his neck.

"Good luck tonight!" Tomoko waved, grinning in her signature, sly way.

Iruka sighed when the two had walked out of sight on their way to the exit. He put the heels of his hands into his eye-sockets, blocking everything out for a moment. What a strange encounter.

"You all right?" Mozuku asked him, and Iruka chuckled with his eyes closed.

"Did any of that make sense to you?" he asked, rubbing his face and opening his eyes to regard his comrade while he considered the question.

Eventually Mozuku shrugged, "Maybe if we get some food, we can figure it out."

"_Yes_," Iruka laughed, "That's exactly what my… er, _friend _says all the time."

"Says what, exactly?" Mozuku eyed him askance, and they began to walk towards the exit.

"That a full belly always helps to solve problems." Iruka blushed; acutely aware of how much Kakashi was on his mind. Was it because he was hungry? Or was it because he could still feel…

"Is that why you're always eating Ramen?" Mozuku fastened the gate securely, and put his hands in his pockets.

Iruka frowned, "I don't always eat Ramen…"

"Not just you," Mozuku smirked, "You and him. Is that why you two are always eating Ramen?"

"Er… I don't…" Iruka floundered, totally at a loss. He and Kakashi almost never ate Ramen–in fact they were almost never together in public at all. What was Mozuku talking about?

Mozuku watched him, and Iruka got more and more uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Just when he thought he couldn't stand the silence anymore, Mozuku walked past him and continued on the path that eventually led to the village. Iruka bit his lip as he caught up to him.

"You know, Iruka," Mozuku glanced at him when their strides had aligned, "We've been friends for a long time. So anytime you have something to share, feel free. I know how to keep things to myself."

Iruka looked at him sharply, his gut clenching with dread. Could he somehow have found out? No, it wasn't possible. Mozuku couldn't suspect Kakashi. He was just being supportive, since the whole thing with the Princess was so unexpected. Iruka put his hands in his pockets too, though it didn't really help him stop worrying. His fellow teacher cleared his throat before continuing.

"And I don't think it's weird, or anything," Mozuku didn't glance at him this time, his gaze straight ahead. "It's not like he's a kid anymore."

Iruka halted in his tracks, stunned. Kid? Kid? Could he… could he mean…? Good heavens! He pictured Naruto's grinning face, and immediately wished he hadn't.

"No, no, no, no, no, _no_!" Iruka crossed his wrists and gestured along with the string of _no's_.

"No?" Mozuku stopped and looked at him, more curious than accusatory.

"No!" Iruka shook his head, voice firm. "It's not like that at all. He's my student!" He ran an agitated hand over his ponytail.

"Okay, okay, calm down. I believe you," Mozuku chuckled, jerking his head to invite him to catch up. Iruka sighed, exasperated, shortening the distance so they could walk together out into the back schoolyard of the Academy.

"It's just…" Mozuku shrugged, "Iruka, you've been different the last few months. So when I heard him yelling for you a few days ago in the Academy, and then saw you running after him yesterday… I just wondered."

Iruka shook his head, appalled at the idea, though he could see how the evidence had been misconstrued. "Naruto is like my baby brother, Mozuku. And we probably do eat a lot of Ramen, but that's all!" He sighed again, and glared when his friend laughed at him.

"I said I believed you, okay?" Mozuku was still grinning, and Iruka felt another flush creeping up his neck.

"Good," Iruka said, taking a deep breath. He was really rather hungry now, and was glad they'd almost made it to the village. He wanted a great big bowl of chocolate ice-cream.

"So what do you want to eat?" Mozuku asked when they'd come around to face the street. Iruka answered immediately—

_"Not Ramen!"_

Mozuku laughed hard enough that he had to sit in the single swing hanging in the front courtyard until it subsided. Iruka flushed, and tapped his foot impatiently, turning his head the other way when he felt the first twitch of a smile on his own lips, despite how hard he fought it.

Good god! What on earth would Kakashi say about this?

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke had left his house with doubts, but after the long period of training with Naruto out on the Uchiha grounds he had to admit that he felt invigorated. His muscles burned and his skin and hair dripped with sweat, but all in all the practice session had been a success.

Sasuke reached out a hand to help Naruto up from the grass where he'd collapsed, and when his teammate accepted the offer it felt natural. Just something that teammates do. He heaved and the blond pulled himself up, and they both nodded through their labored breathing in acknowledgment that they'd finally mastered the last combination. If he didn't know better, he'd think he was feeling giddy excitement–but that would have been illogical.

"Man, that was some move you came up with right at the end," Naruto laughed, stretching his shoulders by rotating his arms like a windmill.

Sasuke shrugged off the compliment, but he had to agree. And it was nice to hear. If he was lucky, Naruto wouldn't follow it up with something idiotic. He started to head back across the open field they'd been training in so they could eat something for dinner; the sunlight was already shifting into darker yellows and oranges.

"Of course, if I hadn't caught you at the right moment, you would have gone _splat_!" Naruto laughed, and Sasuke bristled at the way it amused him. He wouldn't have gone "splat", that moron.

"Are you going to be this much of an idiot all night?" he asked, glancing over in irritation as they retraced their steps back to the house.

"Why?" Naruto took a step sideways and nudged him with his shoulder, his hands full of their torches. "You like it?"

He laughed again, and Sasuke put several feet of space between them, scowling. _Why _was he trying to be cute? It was annoying that he'd succeeded more than he'd failed so far that day. They didn't have time for stuff that wasn't related to the Hunt.

Once inside the entryway, Sasuke took off his sandals while Naruto unzipped his jacket and hung it on the hook. It wasn't clean anymore, but it wasn't nearly as dirty as the last jacket he'd hung there. Sasuke went into the kitchen to get two glasses of water.

"Man, I'm hungry," Naruto said as he joined him. "You know what?"

Sasuke glared at him as he handed over the first glass of water. "If you say another stupid thing I'm sending you home."

"Jeez, so testy," Naruto complained, taking several swallows and watching him with eyes sparkling. Sasuke took his own glass of water all the way to the other side of the island. So he could get out the tea, of course.

"I was just going to say that if Sakura-chan were here, she'd have brought her special Ohagi for us. That would taste _so good_ right about now." Naruto finished his glass, and got himself another.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, picking out a refreshing blend of tea. "Just be glad she's not here."

"Why? She makes it less sweet for you," Naruto leaned against the counter by the sink, linking his hands behind his head in his signature at-ease pose.

"Do you really want to fight her in the Hunt?" Sasuke asked, by way of answering.

"No way!" Naruto shook his head, but he was grinning. Sasuke filled the teakettle and moved back to the stove. "But that reminds me, she sent us a letter." Sasuke glanced over while Naruto fished in his pants pockets, finally producing a rather crinkled envelope and offering it to him.

"You actually checked your mailbox?" Sasuke took the letter without touching Naruto's fingers, turning it over and pulling out the single page with Sakura's writing on it.

"No," Naruto admitted, "Ero-Sennin gave it to me this morning when we had Ramen." He slowly drained his second glass of water.

"Hn," Sasuke leaned against the island and began to read.

Sakura was smart to send it to the Hokage tower; Naruto never remembered to check his mailbox even though he exchanged letters with people from all over. Sasuke didn't check his own mailbox for a reason–there was never anything interesting there. All the people important to him were right here in Konoha, and he wasn't exactly the letter-writing type.

Sasuke winced at the mention of Dango, but found it interesting that Suna didn't have it. He winced again at the mention of a birthday present; Sakura was the type of girl to remember these kinds of things and want to exchange birthday presents even though they were old enough to skip it altogether. He wondered what she'd come up with this time–she was smart, but she didn't know that gifts always reminded him of Itachi.

Nobody else's were the same. Therefore, nobody else's were as good.

The comment about Gaara made him frown. He was one of the few, if not the only Ninja they knew that consistently paid more attention to Naruto than to him. Sasuke didn't care what Gaara thought about him personally. But he found it strange that while everyone else seemed to leap at the chance to fight with him, Gaara only sparred with Naruto outside his own people. It didn't matter if it was in Suna, or in Konoha.

Sasuke wondered why it bothered him at all; the Kazekage could choose anyone he wanted to spar with. But maybe that was it–he always chose _Naruto_. Sasuke returned the letter to the envelope, and scowled. The scowl must have been deep when he looked over at his teammate, because Naruto sighed in exasperation.

"What's wrong _now_?" He asked, and Sasuke put the letter down and turned to get out some tea cups. The water would be boiling in another minute.

Sasuke shrugged, "Nothing."

"Whatever," Naruto picked up the letter and put it back in his pocket. Sasuke got their tea ready, and was pouring the water carefully when Naruto started to take off his shirt.

Sasuke stopped pouring, watching the gradual exposure of Naruto's well-muscled torso as he peeled the black fabric up and over his head. Naruto might not have meant it to be seductive–Sasuke didn't expect Naruto to think of doing it on purpose–but it was definitely more skin than he wanted to see right then. He had a mental argument with places in his body that were trying to convince him otherwise.

"If you're that dirty, go take a shower," he said, forcing himself to continue pouring their tea. The words came out less angrily than he'd meant it, which annoyed him.

"Nah, it's just sweat. The shirt was sticking to me," Naruto said, face innocent while he balled up his shirt and wiped more sweat from his body. "We trained pretty hard."

"So get out of my kitchen and go get cleaned up," Sasuke put the kettle back on the stove and pushed over a steaming mug of tea.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "I thought we were eating first?"

"I can make dinner without you," Sasuke raised an eyebrow sarcastically. "It'll be ready by the time you're finished."

Naruto sighed, but picked up the tea mug and turned to go upstairs. "So what are we having?"

Sasuke smirked, folding his arms. "If you're back in three minutes I'll give you one guess."

Naruto eyed him, taking another small step closer to the stairs. "Since when do you keep Ramen around, huh? Sasuke?"

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat–Naruto _knew_, and was telling him that he knew! His black eyes narrowed, angry at the feeling that he'd been caught having done something naughty. It was only containers of dry noodles, not something completely scandalous like a secret stash of miniskirts, or gay sex manuals. He straightened his spine before answering.

"We'll need the carbs, moron." He glared, and it had practically no effect.

"Of course, of course," Naruto flashed a cheeky grin. "Not because you _like _it."

Sasuke opened his mouth to retort, but Naruto stuck his tongue out and then dashed up the stairs. He gritted his teeth against the urge to punch something; Naruto really was the most aggravating, worst teammate he could ever have. Not to mention the biggest idiot.

Sasuke scowled and refilled the teakettle, setting it to boil again while he got out an armload of Ramen cartons from his pantry. He shook one to deliberately crumble up the noodles, and then set them on the island counter and buried his face in his hands. What in the _hell _was wrong with him?

He'd spent years around Naruto being affected by his wild energy and expressive personality without succumbing to the desires they inspired. Yet here, today, he felt like a nervous wreck. All he wanted to do was prepare and train for tonight's competition, but it was rather difficult to focus on what they had to do as a team with Naruto so… so…

Distracting? Unnerving? What was it?

It's not like Naruto had tried anything funny. Was he relieved? Disappointed? Sasuke clenched his jaw, trying to clear his head and get through the next few hours. Hopefully the adrenaline of the Hunt would resolve the tension; he could feel it aching in his neck and shoulders. He rubbed his neck for a minute, then set to work preparing their Ramen.

It was unfortunate that while Itachi had protected him from many things, he couldn't really protect him from Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

--

* * *

Iruka dressed down after his long shower, taking a break from the feel of combat gear after so much continuous practicing. The sun was starting to set in a tawdry splash of colors, and he breathed in the scents of summer mixed with the assorted Festival smells as he set off for his student's apartment one last time before the Hunt.

He did not want to imagine what Mozuku would say if he knew how many times he'd been here over the last couple of days, but it still didn't keep the slight flush from his skin when he arrived at the building.

Iruka leapt up to Naruto's floor instead of bothering with the stairs, and knocked on the door, looking out over the street while he waited for a response. He got lost in his own thoughts while watching the people below, and it was several minutes before he realized Naruto hadn't answered. Iruka sighed. He hadn't really expected an answer after so much silence; Naruto's focus and will would keep him out training until the very last minute.

Descending back down to street level so he could travel through the Festival crowds, Iruka found the time alone to be refreshing. He went unthinkingly to Ichiraku's, having decided that he really did want Ramen, even if he couldn't find Naruto, and even if it somehow had been made into something unseemly by his friend. It was not unseemly, and Iruka would have some Ramen for dinner just to prove it.

He ducked under the curtain, and gave a beaming smile to the proprietor. "Iruka-sensei!" Teuchi exclaimed happily.

"Good evening," Iruka greeted him, sitting at the counter a few stools down from a couple he didn't recognize.

"The usual?" Teuchi smiled, wiping his hands on his apron.

"Yep," Iruka nodded. Teuchi went immediately to his preparation area, and Iruka watched the process with his cheek on his palm until the heaping bowl of Ramen was set in front of him. He grinned his appreciation and reached for some chopsticks.

"Hey, Teuchi-san," Iruka asked, the man leaning against his counter attentively. "You haven't seen Naruto today, have you?" He stirred his noodles.

"Ah, yes!" Teuchi nodded, and Iruka perked up. "He was here first thing this morning with Jiraiya."

"_Jiraiya_?" Iruka's brows shot up in surprise. It had been months since the Sannin had last been in Konoha.

"Oh yes," Teuchi confirmed, "The Legendary Frog Hermit himself!"

"Well then," Iruka slipped a wry curve into his smile, understanding why he hadn't been able to catch Naruto at his apartment. Obviously Naruto had to take advantage of any time the Sannin had for him, which was even more impossible to schedule than anything with Kakashi.

"Aaaaaah! Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka swiveled on his stool to see another of his students pointing at him. He grinned, "Konohamaru!"

"Where did Naruto go, the toilet?" He craned his neck to see if there was a steaming bowl next to Iruka.

"Nope," Iruka shook his head, "Naruto's not here."

"Darn it." Konohamaru sighed. "Then if he wasn't at his apartment, he must be out training. I better hurry up then!"

Iruka laughed, gesturing to the empty stool beside him. "Have a seat while Teuchi-san gets your order."

They talked and joked, and eventually parted ways; Iruka ambled back to his side of town with a full belly and a light heart. If Naruto was with Jiraiya, he'd be fine, and it had been nice to have different company for dinnertime Ramen. He hadn't seen much of Konohamaru since he'd started dating Hyuuga Hanabi. Those two had hit it off sometime during last year's Chuunin exam, and had been inseparable ever since.

Mozuku had said Iruka had been different for months, and… well, he _was _different. He had Kakashi now.

Iruka smiled, thinking of all the reasons he loved that Jounin, and decided to clean the kitchen table when he got home.

Just in case.

* * *

--

* * *

Sasuke was still reading.

Naruto frowned, seated at the low living room table, his fourth instant Ramen carton empty and pushed to the side. Things were still awkward, even after all the practicing they'd done that afternoon, perfecting their "teamwork" for the Hunt.

Outside in the grass, under the warm rays of the sun, coordinating their movements and matching their physical strengths had become seamless and second-nature. But inside the house, showered and now fed–the gulf between them seemed bottomless. Maybe fighting was easier; they'd done it for so much longer.

The Hunt would begin in six hours.

"Hey… Sasuke?"

Naruto watched his rival's eyes flicking over the printed characters in front of him, brows furrowed in that way they did when he was completely absorbed in some kind of tactical analysis. He wished he could turn the clock back; he'd gotten a small taste of what it was like to be the subject of Sasuke's thorough analysis on _First Night_. Naruto's body was growling… but Sasuke seemed to have no appetite.

Sasuke didn't look up from his manual, turning the page and murmuring distractedly, "Hmm?"

Naruto bared his teeth, trying not to sound as annoyed as he felt. He didn't want to fight anymore, despite feeling restless and agitated. "What are we practicing next?"

Sasuke looked up for the briefest of moments, "Nothing."

"But–" Naruto paused, confused. They still had time–had they really practiced enough? "Are we ready? We've got time for more training; let's go do that last combo again."

"No," Sasuke's voice was carefully blank. "We've trained as much as we can for today. I think we can pull it off, when the time comes."

Naruto folded his arms on the table. He looked around the room, restlessness creeping into his legs and feet. Sasuke was just sitting there, reading. Wasn't there something they should be doing? Some other kind of preparation? They'd already picked out their gear and weaponry, and had everything laid out for when it was time to get ready to leave; Sasuke's efficiency truly left no option save for idleness. Naruto shifted his position, staring at the ceiling, toying with his chopsticks.

"Naruto, go to sleep." Sasuke still didn't look at him, but Naruto was now looking squarely at Sasuke's dark bangs, hanging down across his eyes as he continued to read.

"What do you mean, go to sleep?" he asked.

Sasuke sighed, and glanced up at him, "Go to sleep. There's nothing to do now but wait for it to get dark."

"I'm not tired. Shouldn't we be training instead?" Naruto watched him intently.

"We're going to be up the entire night. It makes the most sense to sleep for the last few hours. Go upstairs, and go to sleep."

Naruto scowled, prickling at the way Sasuke's calm voice seemed to patronize him, "Well what are you going to do, then?"

"I'm going to finish reading this, and then I'll sleep." Sasuke made no movement or expression to go with his words, sitting in that completely still way across the table, eyes glued to the pages of his book. Naruto got angry.

"Just where am I supposed to sleep then, Sasuke?"

Naruto saw his rival's lips press just a tiny bit thinner. It made him irrationally happy to crack through the appearance of total indifference.

Sasuke gave a little sigh, his voice tight. "Upstairs."

Naruto glared. He was being dismissed. Fine. He got to his feet, "Fine, I'm going to sleep now. Enjoy your book."

He left the room and didn't look back, marching loudly up the steps all the way to Sasuke's room. He went through the door, stomping across to the huge bed and stripping down to his boxers, leaving shirt and shorts in a heap wherever they happened to land. He didn't care if Sasuke didn't like it. He threw back the covers, got into the very middle of the bed, and took up as much space as he could. So there.

A minute later, he folded his hands underneath his head and scowled at the ceiling. This wasn't what he wanted.

He tried to force sleep anyways, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to relax. He took two more before he felt calm enough to succeed; it was difficult after being so worked up all day. Training, learning some new moves, having to match everything he did to what Sasuke was doing…

What was the point if they were still going to be so divided? He turned on his side, pulling the blankets over his shoulder and staring at the far wall. They were rivals, yes. But they were also more–and that modification of their rivalry was the real source of the awkwardness.

On both their sides, things had gotten screwed up yesterday. It was frustrating to know that things would be happening radically differently if this Hunt wasn't taking place at the exact same time their relationship was changing. He was sure that he'd definitely not be alone in this giant bed right now, had the circumstances been different.

Naruto eyed the edge of the pillow next to him. He was in _Sasuke's _bed. But he was by himself, and he was angry, and he was frustrated. Not exactly the way he imagined it. He shut his eyes. Well, maybe the quality of the mattress and the softness of the sheets was like he imagined it. And the faint scent of Sasuke that permeated the fibers of the pillowcase, like he'd recently slept with his hair still wet.

Naruto rolled over onto his stomach, pressing his nose into the pillow, trying to intoxicate himself enough to actually fall asleep like he was supposed to do. It didn't make it any better that he could see the sense in what Sasuke had said–sleeping was a good move considering the intensity of the Hunt and the time of night that it would be taking place. But the disappointment of Sasuke choosing to stay downstairs stung viciously, depriving him of any chance he'd had to get some rest.

Naruto flung back the covers and got out of bed. It didn't make sense for _him _to sleep if Sasuke wasn't going to sleep as well. And he just knew Sasuke was trying to be a martyr, acting cool and trying to make it through the Hunt without any sleep at all instead of just coming upstairs. If they were supposed to work together, then sleeping in the same room, in the same bed shouldn't be so hard. It wouldn't be the first time, anyhow.

He thumped down the steps and stood in the doorway to the living room, hands on his hips. The only reaction he got from Sasuke was a faint twitch of irritation at his interruption.

"Oi." Naruto didn't yell, though he wanted to.

Sasuke sighed, and lifted his eyes, scowling through his hair. Sasuke's eyes widened, and Naruto's insides squirmed- what kind of look was that? He didn't have a chance to decide; whatever it was slipped away again, leaving his rival's eyes their usual, clear deep black.

"Why aren't you sleeping, Naruto?" Sasuke's voice was thin, like the line of his lips.

"How can I when I know you're down here?" Naruto protested, "If I should sleep, then you should sleep too."

Sasuke closed his book, "Did I say I wasn't sleeping?"

Naruto pointed at him, "No, but you aren't sleeping."

Sasuke glared. Naruto glared back.

After a minute of silence, Sasuke got to his feet, slowly and gracefully the way he did just about everything. Naruto couldn't help but appreciate the sight of him, although he also wanted to punch him. Hard. Sasuke moved past him and began to walk up the stairs, unhurried.

Halfway up the first flight Sasuke paused, looking over his shoulder ominously, "I'll go upstairs, if it's the only way to make you go to sleep." He turned back around and continued up the steps. "I would hope you'd be taking this competition seriously."

"I am, Sasuke. That's why I came back down here." Naruto replied, following behind him.

They didn't speak after that, just walked up the steps until they reached Sasuke's bedroom. Sasuke went through his door, and then turned, reclining on the red sofa with his feet stretched out in front of him. He opened his book back up.

"What the…?" Naruto was close to shouting. He clenched a fist.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow, and nodded towards the bed. "You can have the bed." As if to make this offer seem more logical, Sasuke shifted down on the sofa so he was lying on his side, his head propped on his elbow and the armrest, making an unreasonable effort to appear perfectly comfortable.

Naruto gaped at him, irritation surging through his chest. Was he serious? He then closed his mouth, and for the second time, stomped over to the bed, threw back the covers, and settled himself in the center. He pulled the covers up to his chin and scowled at the ceiling, and then at the backs of his eyelids. The sound of a page turning nearly made him growl, and he turned over, facing the opposite direction of the bastard on the sofa.

He clenched his teeth. Well, Sasuke had done what he'd asked, and come upstairs so that he could be sure they both got some much needed rest. The Hunt would most likely be nonstop, and truthfully Sasuke was too smart to skip the chance to restore his chakra. It was too important not to.

Naruto sighed. Sasuke was being distant, businesslike. Formal. It was like he needed to be comfortable with being only teammates before moving forward again, although Naruto could tell that he wanted to…only Sasuke was letting something stop him.

Naruto was sick of being pushed away, but maybe this wasn't the right time to push back; they were both rather tense from the afternoon's practice and in a few short hours they'd have many more things to worry about than where to sleep in the meantime.

Sasuke had come upstairs. And he was watching over him, to make sure he got the sleep he needed. And he'd agreed to sleep some himself. Maybe it was enough.

Naruto yawned, and shifted further away from the center of the bed, getting comfortable on the far third. He'd leave plenty of room for Sasuke to join him when–or if–he changed his mind. Plus, he'd just thought of a really great idea, something _better _than what they'd planned. And he was sure Sasuke would love it.

A sudden yawn ruined his gleeful smirk, and Naruto took a deep breath, shifting the covers lower so he wasn't quite so hot, and letting his body slip into a light, but restful sleep.

* * *

--

* * *

When Naruto's breathing had evened out into a steady rhythm, Sasuke closed his book.

He hadn't really digested a lot of the information, using the book mostly as a way to separate himself from the awkwardness. Clean and fed and restless, Naruto's bottomless energy was a _major _distraction, and Sasuke wasn't going to give in to the pangs of hunger that had been bothering him all day.

Training with Naruto wasn't exactly fun, the way most people defined the word, but it was eventful and exhausting and thrilling somewhere in the frenzy. In the moments where everything had clicked, Sasuke had felt a sublime sense of satisfaction ripple through him. The combination of their joint techniques had meshed much sooner than he'd anticipated, with Naruto finally getting the hang of some of the more advanced maneuvers.

That Naruto could learn to do things so different from his natural style, and so quickly too, made Sasuke proud to be his teammate, not to mention eager to explore how else their combined skills could be put to use. He'd been hard pressed to master some of the things Naruto could do, and it was certain that Kakashi was going to have a heart attack when he saw them fighting jointly.

Of course… on the flip side to the situation, the sexual tension between them was mounting again, like it had over the days leading to _First Night_. Only this time it was happening exponentially–Sasuke was only too aware of how good it had been to let go and just feed their hunger until they were consumed by it. Like today, Naruto had been a very quick study, and the thought of surrendering to a similar, unrestrained passion made Sasuke react in a way he was increasingly less comfortable with. Not at all comfortable, really. The knots in his back and shoulders were proof.

Things were different now, the stakes were higher. This time, when–or if–they crossed over that line, it wouldn't be with the innocence of succumbing to moonlit desires. This time the meaning of their actions would be clear, and couldn't be dismissed by youth or hormones. Nearly losing that fragile bond had made everything they did now all the more important.

Still, for all the seriousness of their changing relationship, Naruto had not shown any fear. In fact, he'd been nothing but confident, and that confidence was reassuring, something to steady them enough to get them through their practice session without one of them snapping. But the look on his face as he'd climbed into bed by himself made Sasuke consider very carefully why he felt he'd had to stay on the couch.

Didn't he want to be there with him?

Naruto had clearly wanted, even expected his presence, without the invitation including activities other than simple sleep. Despite his obvious disappointment, Naruto had gotten in bed and gone to sleep anyways, so he obviously had seen the sense in getting some rest before the upcoming battles. So why did it seem so hard to share the same bed if it was only to recharge their chakra?

Sasuke frowned; roving his eyes over Naruto's sleeping form. He looked peaceful, his blond hair a little wild and his exposed back rising and falling evenly with each breath. There was certainly nothing intimidating about him when he was like that.  
_  
"All knowledge is worth having, little brother."_

Sasuke heard the challenge in the memory of his brother's voice. He clenched his jaw.

Silently, he rose from his sofa. Stealth was one of his strongest skills, and he had no doubts at all about being able to get in or get out of bed without Naruto being the wiser. He could do it–climb in there next to him and sleep perfectly still, and then make sure he was the first to wake up. Naruto would never even know.

Besides, Sasuke had never slept on his own couch before, and he certainly wasn't starting now.

Very carefully, eyes trained on his rival's sleeping body, Sasuke crept across the surface of the bed, slow enough that not even the lightest sleeper would know what he was doing. He settled into the middle of the mattress, carefully tucking his feet and legs under the blankets, but not moving them from where they lay across Naruto.

Sasuke kept his head turned towards the blond, ready to spring back out of bed if Naruto so much as twitched, and settled himself on his back. He kept his breathing shallow, watching with tensed muscles for any sign that the blonde was waking up. After five whole minutes, with Naruto still in the exact same position and breathing the sleep of deep sleep, Sasuke began to relax.

He let his eyes follow the angular tufts of yellow hair on Naruto's head, as wild as the gestures he used. Sasuke moved his gaze to the crooked line where Naruto's shoulder and neck met, gravity pulling and bending it out of its natural shape. He traced the curve of Naruto's spine with his mind, feeling the place at the base where it would be slightly warmer than the rest of him.

Emboldened by Naruto's obvious unconsciousness, Sasuke didn't stop his hand from reaching out, sliding slowly and carefully across the gap between them. Lighter than a dandelion seed, he pressed the back of his hand against that warmth, fitting it into the inward curve and allowing contact to be made. Naruto didn't move a muscle.

Sasuke took a deep breath and let it out, relieved. He closed his eyes, feeling a contentedness that he'd never have expected from something so simple. Naruto was here; Sasuke wasn't alone. All the nerves in his hand told him it was true, madly firing signals to let him know that his teammate was there, asleep, safe and sound…

And _rolling over_.

Sasuke froze, too stunned to be horrified as Naruto changed positions while he slept, shifting over onto his back and trapping Sasuke's arm underneath his body. Most of Sasuke wanted to jerk his arm free, but he knew if he did that then Naruto was sure to awaken–which he hadn't done yet. _Yet_. Sasuke's heartbeat increased in mild panic as he debated what to do–couldn't Naruto tell that he was lying on something? That idiot!

Sasuke glared at Naruto's calm face, slack with repose. Naruto always slept on his back, he should have remembered–it's not like they hadn't been on away-missions before. He'd had plenty of chances to see the team sleeping while he was on watch. Kakashi was always perfectly still, and Sakura turned over and over in exactly the same tiny spot, her limbs tucked into her body protectively. But Naruto was always spread-eagled, taking up way more space than was his fair share and oversleeping more often than not. So irritating.

And the nightcap! What kind of animal was that anyways? He better not have brought it here.

When another several minutes passed without any further disturbance, Sasuke sighed. It wasn't like Naruto was going to wake up any time soon. And it would be too awkward to wake him now by moving away. And though he could probably extricate himself without waking Naruto, he refused to go back to the couch. This was _his _house, dammit. And _his _bed. So Naruto just had to share.

Annoyed, Sasuke adjusted his own position, turning towards his sleeping companion and easing the ache on his bruised shoulder from the angle his arm was trapped. It was too simple to drape his other arm over the blond's torso, since there was no other place for it to go, which in turn pinned Naruto's left arm between their bodies. Very carefully, Sasuke shifted down so that there was an area of Naruto's bicep to support his head, and then he got as comfortable as he could get, considering.

Sasuke could put up with it as long as Naruto stayed asleep, and he was confident that he could move away fast enough in an emergency. His internal clock would wake him at the proper time, and then he'd slip out of bed with the stealth he'd spent years learning from Kakashi.

Satisfied with this strategic reasoning, Sasuke allowed himself to relax for the time being. Naruto was right, they both needed to sleep, and sleeping this way was just as effective as any other. Sasuke closed his eyes and smelled the faint spicy energy that seemed to always be on Naruto's tanned skin. He could also smell the soap from his shower, but the traces of fighting spirit were more distinctive, and Sasuke focused on those while his own breathing evened out, and his limbs began to feel heavy.

Vaguely, Sasuke felt something strong and sure curve protectively around his back, familiar fingers gently stroking into his hair before he sank into a pleasant slumber.

* * *

--

* * *

It was late by the time Pakkun finally returned.

All the Lords had retired after an early supper, preparing for the night's activities the way Kakashi wished he could–taking naps and snoring in their beds with little other than gold and gambling on their minds. He had his clones in place once more, monitoring the two highest floors of the Inn. But he didn't expect to learn anything new at this point save for the one report from his dog that was–in his opinion–long overdue.

Things couldn't have been more boring, and he chewed a soldier pill to stave off the grumbling of various different areas of his body. Everyone was due at the Hokage tower at 11:00 for cocktails on the roof, which left about an hour for him to tie up the loose ends and report to Tsunade, and hopefully spend time with Iruka before the Hunt that didn't involve only putting clothing on.

He'd stationed himself in Ayame and Shizuka's room, since they had opted to remain in Tomoko's Suite while she was resting, with some other replacement Samurai on guard duty so that Hisagi could retire to the guard's quarters. Tomoko and Hisagi had returned from their excursion in time to switch with their doubles, taking their original seats near the Daimyo to watch the end of the Show.

When there had been no sign of an ardent Uchiha Sasuke bent on having his way with the Princess by dinnertime, Fujimiya had reluctantly decreased security back to original levels, much to everyone else's relief.

Kakashi was still analyzing the encounter at the Restricted Area; he had an idea what they were up to, but it seemed so farfetched he didn't want to say it until he absolutely had to. Yet it would be just like Tomoko to make decisions based on such things, or fixate on something illogical.

"He's exactly what I'd hoped for," the Princess had commented to Hisagi once they'd left the Restricted Area, and the Samurai had agreed, grudgingly allowing her to clasp his hand while they were shaded by the trees.

Kakashi gritted his teeth to think about how it might impact their lives if his guess was right, and if the Hokage conceded. He looked out the window, and was thankful that Iruka wasn't in mortal danger, regardless of his misgivings.

He was still standing at the window when Pakkun ran through the front doors of the Inn in search of him. Kakashi's stomach lurched with dread, and then again with the faint hope that he might finally be able to give his full report and go home, or really, go to Iruka. He'd realized some time ago that it had become the same.

Kakashi opened the window and climbed out onto the side of the building, sprinting down two floors to the window he'd unlocked the day before. He met Pakkun at the end of the hallway and together they leapt back the way he'd come until they were on the roof. Nobody had seen them. He sat down to hear what his dog had to say.

Pakkun shook himself from snout to rump, then plopped himself down on the ridged tiles as well. His small dark eyes squinted into an annoyed glare. "I'm guessing this had something to do with Sasuke again, didn't it Kakashi."

Kakashi sighed, "Well hopefully it'll be the last time for a while." He chuckled, and the attempt at humor fell flat.

"Hn," Pakkun turned away and looked out into the street. "Maybe if he ever learns how to make friends instead of enemies."

"Why Pakkun," Kakashi regarded his nin-dog critically, "That almost sounded like sympathy."

Pakkun's face wrinkled in defiance, "Oi Kakashi! Do you know what I've just been through to find out your information? Jackass." His last syllable continued into a growl.

"Aaaah, sorry sorry," Kakashi smirked, amused at the denial though he was tense with the need to get this over with.

"Let's see _you _try and unwrap something like that with no thumbs! And then have to tie it back!" Pakkun humphed, and Kakashi reminded himself not to actually pet him; flattery worked so much better as a means of pacification.

"That's why I know I can always count on you, Pakkun." Kakashi waited for him to continue, knowing that the testiness was in part a sign that whatever was in the case was really bothering the Pug.

After a few moments of silence which seemed like an eternity, Pakkun scratched his ear with his toes. "It took me a while, but I found out what you wanted to know. Snakes."

Kakashi jerked from the surprise. "_Snakes_?" The repetition sounded dumb even to him.

"Snakes, yes," Pakkun rolled his eyes, "You know, lizards with no legs? Snakes."

"Hmmm," Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest, mentally connecting the dots and not getting anything as lovely as the Big Dipper that was hanging in the sky above them. "How many?"

"Three. Aodaisho from what I saw," Pakkun reported.

Kakashi exhaled with relief. "Ratsnakes. Big, but not poisonous. And common enough to be virtually untraceable. They won't kill him." He wondered if that was what Ton-Ton had been smelling near the stables. Or if it was Aoba in disguise close by.

Pakkun looked up at him, and Kakashi saw the question on his wrinkly face. "Aoba has been paid to use them against Sasuke in the Hunt, to keep him from winning. Or he will be paid if he's successful."

"Tch," Pakkun scowled. "That's dirty."

Kakashi gave another flat chuckle, "A few days ago and you'd have appreciated the irony."

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course he deserves it, the little twerp."

Kakashi didn't comment. It was obvious Pakkun's opinion of Sasuke had softened somewhat, and the Pug was clearly in denial. It made Kakashi wonder what he'd witnessed yesterday that would have changed his mind about whether Sasuke had any redeeming qualities. He must have found at least one.

Kakashi stood on the roof's tiles and brushed off his pants. "Well I guess I have my own report to give."

Pakkun didn't move at first. Then he cocked his head. "Say hello to Iruka for me."

Kakashi laughed, and this time it held on to all his amusement. "Will do. And thanks."

Pakkun stood up and then poofed, and Kakashi rubbed his neck. He was very glad now that he hadn't approached Hana at the Stadium, even though Pakkun's nose was far superior. It was one thing to smell like your boyfriend's detergent; it was something else to smell like your _boyfriend_.

He didn't waste any time crossing the village to the Hokage tower. The Lords would soon be heading that way anyhow, and then Tsunade and her ANBU could pick up the watch. He couldn't wait to be out of it.

With the sounds of a string quartet wafting down from the roof, Kakashi appeared in front of the ANBU guarding Tsunade's office like he had before, but with enough room to let them know he wasn't a threat. He nodded, returning their silent nods, and the one on the right opened the door.

He hadn't gone more than a step before he realized that Tsunade wasn't inside. The man sitting at her desk seemed equally surprised, glancing up with a startled expression. Then he rolled his eyes and shook his head, muttering to himself while raising a lazy hand in greeting.

"Yo, Kakashi," Nara Shikaku smoothed the same hand back from his forehead in a gesture that vaguely resembled Iruka; the resemblance ended when he also stroked his wiry goatee.

"Yo," Kakashi put his hands casually into his pockets as he moved closer. Shikaku had a jumble of papers spread out in front of him, with tiny charts and even tinier digits inside them. His eyes looked a bit bloodshot.

"If you're looking for Tsunade-sama, she's not here," Shikaku said with a half-hearted gesture towards the ceiling. "She's up on the roof, organizing something or other for the big kick-off."

"Ah." Kakashi nodded his thanks, turning and taking note that the banquet tables from the morning had been covered and set, all the chairs turned to face a large bulletin board displaying a map. Kakashi had just recognized the area of Konoha forest that was depicted when Shikaku called out.

"Oi, Kakashi, wait," the Jounin stood from the desk, rubbing his neck. "I can't believe this…" he muttered, coming around to amble across the room. "Wait here. I'll go get her for you."

"Someone special up there?" Kakashi asked, curious that Shikaku would offer to go out of his way for something simple.

Shikaku shrugged, "Don't want to risk anyone seeing you, _Copy Ninja Kakashi_." Kakashi raised his brow and Shikaku chuckled, explaining.

"If that happens I'll have to redo all the odds for the Hunt, and it's troublesome enough to do so much math in the first place. All the odds get adjusted as the night goes on, you know."

Kakashi crinkled his eye as he smiled, "I wouldn't want to add to the workload, then."

Shikaku regarded him for a moment, "It's the mask. Makes you all mysterious and show-offy." Kakashi laughed, and Shikaku shook his head in a teasing, friendly way and headed over to the doors where he vanished.

Kakashi sighed. He went over to the map to have a closer look, and found approximately forty long stick-pins lined up at the bottom, each with a small paper tag. He bent over and inspected them more closely. The first tag said Yuuhi Kurenai, the next Hijiri Shimon. One for each of the competitors, he guessed, eyes flicking over the other visible names.

"Kakashi," Tsunade's heels clicked with a command that matched her voice. "What have you got for me?"

The Hokage was dressed in her formal robes, holding her hat in a manicured hand. Kakashi gave a bow of greeting, and immediately reported the facts.

"Lords Shimoda and Osada have hired Aoba to keep Sasuke from winning the Hunt. They've provided him with three Aodaisho to use during the competition to ensure it."

"I see," Tsunade crossed her arms, her brows creasing. "Isn't Sasuke…?"

"Yes," Kakashi nodded. "They'll be effective–"

"–while not actually killing him," Tsunade finished, grim. "I can't disqualify Aoba if he waits until things have started; it's my own rule. How do you think he knew?"

Kakashi shrugged, "All the Jounin knew what Orochimaru was trying to do–and who he was after–at that time. Sasuke's aversion to snakes isn't widely known, but it's not exactly top-secret how he reacts. Aoba is smart enough to have remembered, even though it's been many years."

"Hmmm," Tsunade began to pace, holding the Hokage hat behind her back. "Interesting. And Iruka?" She cocked her head and met his eye.

"The Princess did seek out Iruka, but they didn't discuss anything pertaining to the Hunt. He's not involved with any kind of intrigue." Kakashi reported.

"So what did she want, then?" Tsunade faced him, curious.

Kakashi hesitated. "I have a guess. But it's nothing she can act on until after the competition. With your permission I'd like to investigate further since it doesn't relate to tonight's event. I'll be able to report to you before she makes any moves."

Tsunade regarded him for a moment, and he didn't flinch. "Well. I do like how thorough you are, Kakashi, even if you're not always punctual." She smirked, "I suppose it's reasonable to follow up on her scheming; that girl is quite a handful."

"Oh yes," Kakashi replied–he didn't like the idea of her hanging around the village one bit.

"Hokage-sama," one of the ANBU alerted them as she opened the door, Jiraiya walking boldly past her into the room. He had his usual mischievous expression, eyes sparkling.

Tsunade scowled, and put her hands on her hips, "You're early, Jiraiya. The gamblers aren't assembling until 11:00."

"Well now," Jiraiya smirked, "I'll go if it's that important to you. But I thought you might want to know that your firework-technicians are busy assembling what looks like a canon on the roof."

"What!" Tsunade forgot her annoyance, exchanging it for exasperation. "I told him no cannons!"

Cannons? Kakashi tried to imagine what was being set up, recalling that Shikaku had mentioned a "kick-off." Jiraiya held open the door as Tsunade began barreling towards it.

She raised a hand as she moved away, "Good work, Kakashi. You're dismissed."

Jiraiya gave him a saucy wink as the Hokage passed him at the doorway, and then he too disappeared. Kakashi took a deep breath, and let it out. The relief was extreme, and immediate. He left the office and headed straight for his apartment to pack; he'd have about 90 minutes to spend with his lover before they both had to set out for the Hunt.

It didn't take him much time to gather what he needed, and before long he was dashing across the roofline of Hotarubi street. Kakashi entered Iruka's dark apartment through the kitchen window, eyeing the table fondly as he stepped down from the counter. The citrus smell was strong enough to penetrate through his mask, and Kakashi smirked to himself at Iruka's thoroughness. When he cleaned, he _cleaned_.

He opened the freezer and checked the ice-cream container, frowning. He'd been so certain Iruka would have gotten his message by now. Returning the carton to its place, Kakashi moved his things into the living room and crept towards the bedroom where he figured Iruka would be fast asleep. It was the smart thing to do before night competitions.

Sure enough, Iruka was sprawled underneath the blankets, his face turned towards the window as if expecting another nocturnal visit. Kakashi sighed at the sight of him, and pulled down his mask. Iruka wasn't sexy in a movie-star kind of way, but there were things about him that made Kakashi's very soul ache. He moved to the side of the bed and leaned a knee on its edge, bending down to lay a kiss on Iruka's scar.

Iruka stirred; Kakashi could feel him smile as it shifted the skin under his own lips, and then Iruka reached for him. He bent as those arms pulled him down, and Iruka kissed him, gently, and then opened his eyes.

"What kind of Prince are you?" Iruka asked with a hint of sarcasm, grinning at him in the soft moonlight that spilled into the room. "In stories the Prince is supposed to kiss the sleeping person's lips, not their _nose_."

"Hmmm," Kakashi considered the question, grinning back and getting comfortable, careful to keep the blankets between them. Iruka smelled fresh and clean, and Kakashi hadn't wanted to take the time to shower at his apartment when he could do it here. "So you're Sleeping Beauty, then?"

"Oi!" Iruka poked his chest in mock offense, knowing he was being teased. "I'm saying you should do these things properly. Like you mean it."

Kakashi grinned, smoothing Iruka's hair back from his face. "I'll try again, then."

This time the kiss wasn't just a fairy-tale wake-up kiss. It was good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and a bit of good night all in a breathless, flushed mixture. It went on until Iruka reached under the hem of his shirt, and then Kakashi broke it off.

"I need a shower," he said, moving Iruka's hand away but trailing his lips across to his lover's neck.

"Okay," Iruka sighed, turning his head to give better access while Kakashi grazed over the exposed tendons with his teeth. "But I insist on joining you."

Kakashi chuckled, "Thank God. I was hoping the idea of me naked in your shower would still be enough to get you out of bed."

"Every time," Iruka laughed, swatting his behind.

Showering had never felt so good, and not just because he had Iruka with him. The warm water that ran down his body also washed away the taint of all the unpleasantness he'd been observing over the last two days. None of that could reach him here, not while he was with such a wonderful, loving person as Iruka. He didn't want to admit it, but the Princess really could learn a thing or two from this Chuunin.

"Kakashi," Iruka said, holding him from behind while the water beat against his chest. Iruka nibbled the back of his shoulder, the soapsuds long gone from both of them.

"Hmm?" he replied, gently stroking the sides of Iruka's hips and bringing them forward against him.

"Whatever you're worrying about, stop it," Iruka squeezed him around the middle. "I can tell, because you keep tensing up."

"Is that so," he commented, smirking. "I can think of lots of ways to fix that." He turned around inside his lover's arms, reaching into dark, wet hair. Kakashi's arousal was obvious, though he'd been content enough with the simpler pleasure of bathing each other.

He kissed Iruka's mouth, their lips and hands sliding effortlessly along each other's skin from all the water. Iruka grazed fingernails down his back, and Kakashi squirmed against him, thrusting involuntarily from the pleasure. His lover broke their kiss to grin.

"So can I, " And then he turned them around and pressed Kakashi up against the tiles, winking suggestively and moving his mouth in a trail of kisses and bites, carving a downward pathway over his pale skin. The cool tiles, the hot water, and Iruka's practiced touch all cooperated in keeping his mind on the here and now, his heart spilling over along with his orgasm.

Before the warm water ran out, Kakashi returned the favor, showing Iruka exactly how much he loved him by not thinking of a single thing beyond ensuring his lover's total satisfaction.

They toweled each other dry, and dressed enough to be decent while they prepared a quick meal. Kakashi's stomach had given him away, and Iruka insisted that he eat something immediately.

"I'll fix some dinner, if you fix us both dessert," Kakashi grinned, pulling out some eggs from the refrigerator to make a quick omelet.

"Okay," Iruka was still scrubbing his hair with a towel, "But I think all I have is chocolate ice-cream."

"That's fine," Kakashi continued what he was doing, hearing the noise of the towel stop.

"Er… Really?" Iruka came closer, leaning against the counter next to him. He set the towel aside. "You'll actually have ice-cream?"

Kakashi laughed, "Sure. What's wrong with that?" He glanced away from his dinner to find Iruka frowning.

"You're not going to tease?" he asked, and Kakashi only grinned back at him in response. Iruka threw up his hands. "Fine, I'll get us some ice-cream. But if you make any smart remarks I'll throttle you."

"Whatever you say," Kakashi agreed amiably, watching Iruka out of the corner of his eye. He got out two bowls, and opened a drawer to get spoons. Seeing the drawer reminded Kakashi of something he'd been meaning to ask.

"Iruka, when did you start keeping lube in your miscellaneous drawer?"

Iruka turned mid-motion to look at him, gauging whether he was being poked fun at or not, and Kakashi did his best to look innocent. Eventually Iruka flushed, and closed the drawer, setting a spoon in each empty bowl with a nervous hand.

"Funny you should mention it," Iruka leaned back in the corner of the counter, crossing his arms. "Actually… I have a confession."

Kakashi raised both his eyebrows, surprised by the sudden seriousness of his boyfriend's tone. "Okay," he said, prompting. It didn't make him feel better that Iruka sighed, and colored a bit red, biting his lip.

Then he took a deep breath, "I… Well… I, er… accidentally told Naruto about our relationship. Last Monday."

Kakashi felt only slightly relieved–what did that have to do with _lube_? "I know," he admitted.

"You do?" Iruka started in surprise, and Kakashi nodded, a corner of his mouth twisting into a smirk.

"Oh," Iruka sighed, looking a bit worried. "Well it really was an accident–"

"–I know, Iruka," Kakashi chuckled, tilting the pan as he prepared his omelet. He waited for the rest- it was clear Iruka had more to get off his mind.

"Oh," Iruka said again. "Well… there's more." Kakashi nodded, turning the heat down so he could focus more on Iruka.

"Er… well you see," Iruka ran a nervous hand over his ponytail. "I … kinda gave him some lube, on _First Night_–"

"–On _First Night_?" Kakashi asked, incredulous. That explained why neither of them had had any. It was almost hilarious.

"Well," Iruka glanced away, turning incrementally more crimson, "_Yes_, because he was so nervous about making a move on Sasuke, and it seemed… well… at the time…"

Iruka bit his lip, and Kakashi could see that worry was quickly replacing the embarrassment on his lover's face. "Do you think we did the right thing, Kakashi?" Iruka asked him. His lover paused, looking off to the side. Then he looked back up, "Should we have encouraged them so much?"

Kakashi turned off the burner, flipping the omelet to cook its other side from the heat retained in the pan. He faced Iruka, thinking about the things he'd heard from Pakkun, and what he knew from their own experiences.

"Well, who can say?" He said gently. "You never know how these things will turn out, but at least they'll have the two of us for support, no matter what happens."

"I–" Iruka bit his lip. "I've never seen them like that, Kakashi. Naruto was so hurt, so angry… and Sasuke…" Kakashi knew he was referring to registration.

"It'll be okay," he tried to reassure him. "I sent Pakkun to watch over them, and he said they called a truce. I don't know if they've really made up, per se, but they're not fighting any more."

"Oh," Iruka said, digesting this information. "But will they? Do you think?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Once this is over, maybe. But I don't want you worrying about them, Iruka. They're old enough to figure this out on their own–just like you said to me before. Right?" He smiled, and was glad to see Iruka chuckle. Kakashi watched the Chuunin's cheeks flush a bit. "We just gave them a little push to get over the first hurdle. The rest is up to them."

"You know," Iruka chuckled, "I had a very… _interesting _conversation with Sasuke yesterday, before registration."

"Oh?" Kakashi inclined his head, curious.

"Yeah," Iruka nodded, the smile slowly fading. "He–nevermind. It was mortifying."

Kakashi laughed, "I wonder if it was anything like the conversation I had with _Naruto_."

Iruka looked up expectantly, and Kakashi touched his neck, remembering. "He's more insightful than people give him credit for. He knew exactly who–er, well how we prefer to do things."

"Don't look at me!" Iruka was immediately on the defensive.

Kakashi held a hand up, "I know you wouldn't tell him something like that, I'm not accusing."

"Of course I wouldn't!" Iruka huffed, and then pointed at him, "But don't you try and tell me you didn't tell Sasuke! He knew as well, and I know you're responsible for it, Kakashi!"

"I didn't tell him, actually." Kakashi laughed, trying to imagine Sasuke and Iruka talking about anything so personal. He wished he'd been there.

"Oh, come on!" Iruka looked exasperated, "There is no way he could have known something like that unless he heard it from you!"

Kakashi chuckled, catching Iruka's pointing finger so he couldn't try and smack him. "Would you believe me if I told you it was a jutsu gone awry?"

Iruka gaped, snatching his finger back, "That's the biggest load of cr–"

"–I swear, Iruka. It was an accident," Kakashi interrupted, grabbing Iruka's hands before he got too worked up.

"A _jutsu_?" Iruka eyed him in challenge, and he nodded. Iruka rolled his eyes, sighing with drama. "Nevermind, don't tell me. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Who knows what can happen when two tensai put their heads together."

Kakashi laughed and pulled him into a hug. If Iruka only knew how close he'd been to the truth! "Let's not worry about all this right now, okay? So our students know we're in a relationship. Big deal." Iruka's arms wrapped around him, tight.

"And I'm sure after this competition, they'll kiss and make up," Kakashi rubbed the space between Iruka's shoulder blades. Or they'd fight more and screw each other senseless–but he figured that probably wouldn't be reassuring to Iruka.

"Will you answer a question for me, Kakashi?" Iruka said, nuzzling into his shoulder.

"Of course," he replied, holding him tight. His stomach growled, but for the moment they both ignored it.

"Explain to me about Genma," Iruka said, going very still.

Kakashi stepped back to look into his face, "Genma? What about Genma?"

Iruka frowned, searching his face, "Genma was all over you, Kakashi–what was that about?"

Kakashi suddenly remembered, and laughed. Iruka didn't look amused at all, so he kissed him. "You mean at registration?" Iruka nodded, and Kakashi explained. "Genma wasn't coming on to me or anything. He was just pretending to be Anko."

"_Anko_?" Iruka repeated the name sharply, completely confused.

"Yeah," Kakashi chuckled, "Anko. She's away on a mission, and Genma was pretending to flirt like her. It wasn't personal, Iruka."

Iruka glared, "You mean she does that to you?"

Kakashi shrugged, "She's like that with everyone, and no, I don't encourage it." He gave Iruka a squeeze, "Anyway, I think she's already dating someone; she was a lot worse a couple of years ago." He pursed his lips, wondering who it could be. It was another thing that hadn't ever seemed important enough to find out.

"Kakashi," Iruka sighed, his face pinched by his emotions. "I've been thinking. Maybe it's time we told–"

"–the Hokage?" he suggested, guessing what Iruka was going to say.

"–everyone?" Iruka finished, and they looked at each other with wide eyes.

Iruka started to back up and Kakashi didn't let him get very far, even though he'd been a bit caught off guard by that last word. "Iruka–"

"–Forget it," Iruka looked away, giving a nervous chuckle. "I didn't really mean everyone."

"Let's just think this through," Kakashi suggested, reaching to tuck that stray piece of Iruka's hair back in with the rest.

"Well," Iruka sighed, "I just think… Well aren't we missing out on stuff?" He bit his lip, and Kakashi waited for him to continue. "I mean, we pretend we don't know really know each other, and then, well, maybe I want to know what your friends are like."

"Hmm," Kakashi considered. If people knew they were together, it could pose a ton of risks. For one, people would know the easiest way to provoke him–he'd kill to protect Iruka. Or worse than kill, if it came down to it. Tomoko didn't know how lucky she was.

"Besides," Iruka gave a coy smile, "Then I could tell them to keep their hands off you."

Kakashi chuckled, "I think I'd like to see you do that."

"I bet," Iruka teased, reaching down to squeeze his buttocks. "Look, I know we decided things like this a while back, and I think we were right. But I feel like there's a lot that we give up by keeping things a secret."

"Hmmm," Kakashi nodded, "I was thinking today that we should tell Tsunade. But since Naruto and Sasuke both know, that opens other doors, too. It wouldn't be fair to keep Sakura in the dark, she's part of my team."

"I'd like to tell Mozuku," Iruka said, "He's been my friend for a long time. I think he'd understand, and I think you'd like him. He's good at cards."

Iruka smiled, and Kakashi had a wonderful vision of playing cards with them after hours in the empty mission office, or seeing Iruka go up against Raidou in Tequila shots at Genma's house.

Kakashi kissed him, long and sweet. "I think it's a great idea. But let's talk about it more after the Hunt."

"Oh my god!" Iruka whipped his head around to check the closest clock, "How much time do we have?"

Kakashi grinned, "Forty-five minutes. Time enough to rest before we finish getting dressed." He tugged on Iruka's arm, "Come on. I want to take a half hour cat-nap. I haven't slept much lately."

Iruka followed him with his laughter, and Kakashi moved his grip to clasp hands. He looked over his shoulder as he led them back to Iruka's bed. "But you still haven't answered my original question."

"Which one was that?" Iruka asked, climbing under the blankets next to him and fitting himself comfortably. Kakashi could smell his detergent, and smiled.

"Why do you suddenly have lube in the kitchen?" he asked again, cuddling closer and sighing as his body was finally permitted to relax completely.

"Oh," Iruka laughed against his shoulder, "I have it all over the apartment now."

"Oh really," Kakashi smirked against Iruka's crown.

"Yep," Iruka nodded. "Which means when the Hunt is over, we can have sex for every bottle you manage to find."

Kakashi laughed, "I hope there's more than one or two–"

"–Try twelve," Iruka sniggered, and Kakashi squeezed him tight.

"Did I say how much I love you, yet?" He asked, and Iruka moved to touch their lips together.

"No. But I know," Iruka whispered against his mouth.

Kakashi was just getting comfortable enough to drift into a brief slumber, when his stomach growled loud enough to startle them both.

"Your omelet!" Iruka started to wriggle away from him and he tightened his arms.

"Iruka, if you mess up this comfortable position we're in I might get cranky," he warned, smiling against his lover's hair. He heard Iruka sigh, and he reassured him further, "I promise to eat it cold. Just don't move."

"You're awfully demanding for an uke," Iruka teased.

"Yes, but you like it that way," he countered, and Iruka's sly laughter was the best thing he'd heard in two days.

He held Iruka close, and reveled in the comfort of being with the one he loved best.

* * *

--

* * *

Naruto woke up with a smile, although the sheet next to him was cool underneath his questing arm. Sasuke had clearly slipped out of bed some time ago without even leaving a warm spot to remember him by. Sneaky bastard.

Naruto smiled anyway.

He might not have noticed exactly when it had happened, but there was no doubt that Sasuke had changed his mind about the sofa, and that they'd slept a restful few hours comfortably sharing body heat just as if it was their normal practice. Sasuke had probably only joined him because he didn't think he'd be able to tell. But even in sleep it would have been impossible to completely ignore physical contact with his rival that finally wasn't combat-related, or how right it had been to sleep side by side.

Naruto sat up and stretched, hearing said rival moving around in the bathroom. Since the door was open enough to let a wedge of light into the room, Naruto went over to investigate.

He blinked at the bright lights above the bathroom mirror, and saw Sasuke standing at the sink, his discarded shirt and hitai-ate near him on the counter. He was in the middle of rubbing the Aburame ointment into the skin of his left arm, and looked up when he realized Naruto had opened the door and was leaning in the doorway. Naruto's stomach flipped at the various things Sasuke's eyes were trying not to show him.

"Think it's going to work?" Naruto nodded towards the glass jar, choosing a safe topic to break the ice.

"It should." Sasuke dipped his fingers into the jar and spread more ointment up to his shoulder. "But that's why I made Plan B." Naruto stayed where he was, content to watch the fascinating way Sasuke's skin shimmered from the oils in the substance, and really he just couldn't make himself look anywhere else.

"I'm almost done. You can have the bathroom in a minute," Sasuke's brows furrowed as he glanced over, and Naruto caught the hint. But he wasn't going to make it that easy to push him away. This was getting ridiculous.

"Here, I'll get your back." Naruto offered, moving over to the counter and swiping some ointment from the jar before Sasuke could protest.

He moved behind his teammate and began to rub it into that space between the shoulder blades that nobody could reach comfortably on their own. Sasuke stiffened, and Naruto could feel a glare reflecting at him off the mirror, but he ignored it. He reached around his rival's waist to get more ointment with his other hand.

"How thickly are you putting it on?"

"Enough to leave a film after it soaks in," Sasuke replied, switching arms. "It didn't exactly come with directions, you know."

Naruto slid both his hands over Sasuke's back, smearing the ointment over his muscles evenly and ignoring the sarcasm along with the glare. Sasuke might not like it, but Naruto thought it was time to get past all the awkwardness, and this was a surprisingly simple opportunity. He was careful to keep his hands strong and sure and non-sexual, even though it was very hard to keep his mind away from how good it felt to be touching Sasuke again. Sasuke, of course, was very tense.

"Jeez, Sasuke, you're so tense. Are you sure you really slept like you were supposed to?"

Naruto met his rival's black eyes in the mirror with a teasing sparkle, continuing to rub where the muscles were the tightest. He could see the shrewd flicker in their inky depths, and grinned before starting to work out the kinks beneath Sasuke's skin in earnest. It was just beginning to work when Sasuke tried to shrug him off.

"I'm fine, Naruto," Sasuke rolled his shoulders and moved away.

Naruto tugged him back and squared Sasuke's shoulders with his hands, "Don't be an ass, Sasuke. It's no good if you're this tense." He kept a steadying hand on his rival's side and used the other to keep smoothing out the tension. He looked into the mirror and met dark eyes. "It's what teammates do. Right?"

Sasuke lifted his chin defiantly, but made no further comment. Naruto watched him reach for the ointment and continue what he'd been doing before, slathering his right arm in neutral efficiency. After a while, the muscles in Sasuke's back returned to their normal firmness under Naruto's ministrations.

They'd both learned enough about anatomy to handle minor injuries on missions when not teamed with a medic-nin. They'd both do whatever it took to help everyone on the team get through a mission, even if it meant massaging the cramps out of each other's worn out limbs. But a mission environment wouldn't have been quite this awkward.

When he'd finished, Naruto ran satisfied hands up the sides of Sasuke's back, but frowned at the stiffness he found around his neck, like all the knots had just climbed up his spine to settle on his shoulders. He reached for the ointment and set to work, sliding his fingers up into Sasuke's hair. His rival twitched, and Naruto saw goose flesh prickle across the gleaming skin, but he didn't look at Sasuke in the mirror. He chose not to call attention to the involuntary reaction, and just kept doing what he was doing so that Sasuke would relax.

Sasuke might not have realized it, but _this_, Naruto thought, was almost as important as everything else they'd practiced and perfected that afternoon. You couldn't fight alongside someone if you were nervous around them. Battle frenzy might help make you at ease in your own skin, but it wasn't going to be like that the entire night. How could they expect to pull off their moves if they weren't completely sure the other's hand would be right where it was supposed to be?

The time for simulation was over.

Naruto let go of Sasuke's shoulder to move both his hands up the sides of his neck in unison, eliciting a sharp gasp. This time, when Naruto glanced up into the mirror Sasuke's eyes were closed, and so Naruto kept going, stroking the sinews and cramped muscles with gentle, sure fingertips. Sasuke gripped his right elbow with his left hand and kept his eyes closed, as if willing himself to stay still. Naruto teased and coaxed the tension out of his teammate, trying to cause as few goose bumps as possible, but it was hard–Sasuke's neck was highly sensitive. Naruto remembered all too well.

He was surprised Sasuke allowed it to go on as long as it did; just a moment ago he'd been trying to send him away and shake off his touch. But Sasuke bore it in his silent way, his closed eyelids effectively blurting out that he enjoyed what Naruto was doing more than he ever wanted to let on. Naruto continued, his mouth dry from the effort of keeping his hands only on Sasuke's neck. The small tremor that rippled across Sasuke's shoulders when Naruto stroked both his hands over pale collarbones nearly made him lose all self-control.

He settled for brushing his lips across the nape of Sasuke's neck instead, pushing the dark hair aside and bumping his nose on the back of Sasuke's skull when his rival inhaled abruptly from the touch. Scrunching his face once or twice to get rid of the discomfort, Naruto tilted his head and then moved forward again, holding Sasuke still and gently licking the ointment-softened skin of his regal neck.

Sasuke exhaled audibly, reaching both hands to the counter in front of him and leaning his weight into his palms. Naruto nibbled the skin next, glad that the ointment had no taste as well as no scent; he didn't want anything to diminish the unique flavor of Uchiha Sasuke. After a moment, Sasuke raised his head to give Naruto better access, surprising him by chuckling.

"Is this what teammates do? Naruto?"

Naruto grinned against his teammate's neck, raising his blue eyes to meet Sasuke's in the mirror.

"No. _We _do this, Sasuke." He licked Sasuke's neck in a long suggestive swipe from his shoulder to the base of his ear, and said it again, deeper. "We do this."

Sasuke closed his eyes and swallowed a groan, and Naruto kept licking away the tension, his hands holding his teammate still. He picked a spot and began to suck, letting the ridges of his teeth tease the fragile skin. Sasuke groaned outright, and Naruto gave a shudder of arousal at hearing it, moving closer instinctually. He leaned into Sasuke's back and continued to nibble and suck until Sasuke pulled him around roughly by his elbows to stand in-between him and the marble countertop. Naruto grinned, looking into Sasuke's black eyes as his teammate put his hands back on the counter, arms on either side of him.

"We don't have time for this, Naruto." Sasuke's words didn't match the flush on his skin, and Naruto's belly tightened to have finally made progress in the right direction.

"I have a plan," he countered, returning his mouth to Sasuke's neck and sucking hard. _Real _hard.

Sasuke moaned and jerked towards him, and Naruto slid his arms around his rival's waist and didn't stop until he was sure he'd made a vivid mark, and then he bit him for good measure. Sasuke shuddered and then tried to move away, and Naruto lifted his lips long enough to see deep maroon just underneath the creamy paleness of his teammate's skin.

Naruto smiled, and moved to the side enough for Sasuke to see it in the mirror at his back, "See?"

Sasuke frowned and touched the spot with cautious fingers, tilting his head to get a better view. Then he glared his question, looking down his nose.

Naruto gave him a playful squeeze, "Now I'll know which Sasuke is the real one!" Sasuke widened his eyes in a moment of disbelief, then turned his gaze back to the mirror, looking at the mark with new consideration.

"Hn," he replied, turning his attention back to Naruto. Naruto went still as those black eyes filled with a predatory gleam, and Sasuke slowly bent towards him. Naruto closed his eyes when Sasuke's lips brushed the edge of his ear, finding it suddenly hard to breathe–but it was his rival's whispered statement that made him tingle from both anticipation, and the urge to slug him.

"I guess you wouldn't remember the code phrase anyhow… Ultimate Moron."

Naruto had just made a fist and then Sasuke bit him back–hard, and without preamble. He gritted his teeth from the sudden pain of it, unclenching his right hand to push against Sasuke's chest.

"_Shit_, Sasuke," he scowled, getting little response. "Don't just bite me like that…"

He pushed harder against Sasuke's chest, and his rival calmly took hold of his wrist and twisted their hands so that their fingers could interlock. The pressure on his neck eased, and Naruto squeezed his rival's left hand as Sasuke began to nibble and suck on his skin in a much more pleasant way, occasionally moving to tease his earlobe. The pain from the bite ebbed into a satisfying warmth, and Naruto shivered when Sasuke's free hand traced down his spine to the concave dip just above the waistband of his boxers.

He couldn't help it, he moaned and gripped Sasuke's hand harder, pressing their palms together and getting lost in the pleasure of Sasuke's mouth and fingers. Naruto leaned forward, turning his head to return his lips to Sasuke's neck, and reached up into his silky black hair to hold him close. This time Sasuke's fingers were the ones to squeeze in approval, and they both sent moaned vibrations across the other's skin with their mouths.

Naruto teased him with his teeth, nibbling softly and then abruptly sharp, getting Sasuke to grunt noises against his own neck. Naruto chuckled, commenting with his lips brushing over the mark, "_You're_ the one who likes biting, Sasuke." And he proved it again, pressing his teeth into Sasuke's skin and making him twitch.

Sasuke's nails dug into Naruto's lower back from his pleasure, and Naruto sighed into the crook of his rival's shoulder, enjoying the sting now that there was a multitude of pleasure to go with it. They sucked and marked each other's necks until it was nearly too uncomfortable, and Naruto pulled back a bit, eyeing the bruise he'd left on Sasuke with a satisfied thrill.

Naruto looked into Sasuke's black eyes and squeezed their entwined fingers, and his heart surged up into his throat at the wave of longing. In unison they grabbed for each other and merged lips and tongues with the same thoroughness that had decorated their bodies elsewhere, and Naruto could hardly believe the relief it was to be kissing Sasuke again. One day ago he'd been certain this had been lost to them, and the bitter memory made the pressure of their mouths so beautifully, painfully sweet.

Sasuke held him so tight it hurt, but Naruto could hardly care since he finally wasn't being pushed away. He had both his hands twisted in his rival's hair and could feel Sasuke's left hand curling at the base of his neck. Naruto allowed his head to be tilted backward and accepted Sasuke's searching tongue, eagerly sucking it deeper and twining it with his own to make sure he hadn't forgotten what any of it was like.

There was urgency: sensual, passionate, rough. But it wasn't exactly like _First Night_ where their only goal had been to ride their desires as hard and as fast as possible. But this time they shared a mixture of both forgiveness and apology with each kiss–vulnerable questions coupling with needy answers. Lust was still there, Naruto knew, but she was tempered by something that went further, something that reconnected them by every hitched breath and muffled groan, an atonement achieved by the tender ache of skin touching skin.

If _First Night_ was for their bodies, then this was for their souls–though it was still Lust strumming the chords in Naruto's belly that recognized Sasuke as someone more significant than the words "teammate" or "rival" could hope to encompass.

Naruto wasn't getting lost in sensation this time, he was getting lost in _Sasuke_.

The feel of Sasuke's hand moving along his jaw, his thumb tracing the whiskers on his cheek needed no translation for Naruto to understand. He scraped the tips of his fingers down the sides of Sasuke's neck and across his shoulders to grip his biceps, all of him slick with ointment, and Naruto inhaled the faint aroma of Sandalwood while their kisses became slower and deeper and longer. Mutually possessive.

It was _intense_. Naruto lost track of where one kiss became another, or whether either of them were even breathing something besides each other as they solidified this other, more fragile aspect of their alliance and somehow counterbalanced the anger and fury of the previous day.

Eventually Naruto slid his hands back up Sasuke's body to push his dark bangs off his face, just wanting to look at him, and Sasuke moved with him to touch their bare foreheads together. Naruto enjoyed the quiet, profound moment, stroking through Sasuke's thick hair. He could feel Sasuke's heart beating against his chest. He wondered if Sasuke could feel his. Somehow it seemed like these moments would be rare, and he didn't want it to end.

It didn't.

Not for a long while.

Sasuke shifted and brushed a tingling kiss across Naruto's ear, bringing him out of his daze and reaching behind him to grasp something from the counter. Naruto felt the cool glass jar press into his lower back and gave a slight reflexive jerk, to which Sasuke merely chuckled and nipped his earlobe.

"Finish putting this stuff on while I go get dressed."

"You mean you're done?" Naruto looked at him, not believing it. "You've got it everywhere?"

"Hn," Sasuke smirked, settling his hands on the counter like he had before, trapping Naruto where he stood. He lowered his voice to a velvety purr and leaned in to let their thighs touch. "You wanna check?"

Naruto smirked back, relieved that Sasuke was somewhat back to his old self. Confident in his appeal. Sure of Naruto's responses. Naruto placed his hands on Sasuke's hips, "I thought we didn't have time for that."

Sasuke kissed him, just enough to tease. "We don't." He turned to go back into his bedroom, but Naruto tightened his grip, and their eyes met.

"But what if I miss a spot?" He pulled Sasuke back over to him, grinning, "You're supposed to guard my back, right?"

Sasuke didn't resist when Naruto lifted his chin and kissed him, holding their bodies close and finishing what Sasuke had started. Sasuke actually leaned into him, making him take a half-step back so that the countertop was against his backside, and Naruto chuckled into the kiss. He nibbled Sasuke's lip, and then yelped when he felt something cold and sticky dribbling down his spine.

Sasuke shushed him with his lips, and Naruto felt his teammate's hands smearing globs of ointment over his skin with steady hands. He shoved his tongue down Sasuke's throat in response, and Sasuke groaned, digging fingernails into the meat beside Naruto's shoulder blades as he continued to smear the ointment. Naruto kissed him breathless and then grinned against his lips, moving to rest his chin on Sasuke's shoulder. He settled his arms loosely around his rival's torso and sighed in bliss while Sasuke's skilled hands warmed and stroked his skin.

"There," Sasuke said, finished. "Happy?"

Naruto kissed Sasuke's neck right on the dark maroon marking. "Yeah," he agreed, turning to the counter and reaching for the jar. His eye fell on Sasuke's shirt lying a bit further down the marble countertop, the metal plate of his hitai-ate casting a reflection of light on the wall. Sasuke was already moving towards the door.

"Wait," Naruto picked up the forehead protector and went over to his teammate.

"You're gonna need this," Naruto held it to his rival's brow, and Sasuke rolled his eyes a little while he settled it in place, though he didn't make any real objections to the gesture. Naruto reached behind his head to tie it, making sure to not catch any dark hairs in the knot. He could feel Sasuke's eyes on him the whole time, and there in the bathroom it was almost more intimate to add this simple item than it would have been to remove all the rest. Naruto met the eyes that had been watching him when he'd finished.

Sasuke didn't respond with words, simply stroked his fingers through the hair at Naruto's temple much like he had before their very first kiss. His mouth curved in a smirk on one side, and then he disappeared through the door. Naruto urged his lungs to breathe as he returned to the counter and the jar of ointment, his heart thumping behind his ribs from the unspoken sentiments. He looked up into the mirror and saw his own reflection for the first time. Naruto blinked.

"There's not much time left, Naruto." Sasuke called the reminder from his bedroom.

Naruto could hear him moving out into the hall and down the steps to the room where all their combat gear was laid out for them. He leaned closer to the mirror and tilted his neck to be sure, and then shook his head. Naruto felt a stirring behind his navel; in that first bite Sasuke had broken his skin, leaving an exact imprint of his teeth to frame the bold splotch of the hickey that had followed. Sasuke had well and truly marked him, and Naruto was surprised how much the sight aroused him.

"You bastard," he chuckled, touching the reddened ridges lightly and wincing.

Sasuke just had to outdo him, didn't he?

Naruto sighed, and spent the next minutes coating the rest of his whole body with the ointment, very sure he didn't miss anything. It only took the thought of one of Shino's bugs burrowing under his clothing to ensure his thoroughness. He wiped some on his face, and for good measure ran his fingers through his blond hair without getting it all sticky. Satisfied, he closed the jar's lid and set it neatly next to the hand soap.

He silently thanked Itachi for leaving them such a gift, and then set off to get ready for the Hunt.

* * *

--

* * *

"Wait, Iruka," Kakashi gently moved Iruka's hands and took away the Katana where he'd been trying to fasten it along his spine.

"What are you doing?" Iruka frowned, turning around to see where his lover was going with his sword. He crossed his arms and followed him into the living room. They only had ten minutes until the Hunt began.

He found Kakashi holding something behind his back, and Iruka was glad the mask was still down around his lover's throat so that he could see the affection behind the teasing smile. The ANBU gear he'd decided to wear in the competition made him look so cold. Remote. But the smile wasn't cold at all.

"Here," Kakashi came towards him, still keeping something hidden behind his body. Iruka stayed where he was, but did move his arms so that Kakashi could come close enough to kiss his mouth.

"I told you I'd bring you a present, didn't I?" Kakashi rubbed their noses together, and Iruka grinned, tilting his head and kissing him back.

"You did, but I'd forgotten," he admitted, smiling at his lover's feigned shock. Kakashi straightened up, but Iruka knew he wasn't offended. They knew each other better than that.

"So here it is," the Jounin said, holding out a completely different Katana. "Try it."

Iruka took the Katana in his hands, eyes flicking down the silvery sheath to the wrapped hilt. It was finely crafted, and the weight was balanced exactly right. Iruka tugged the blade free, and marveled at its honed edge, rotating his wrist to test it without endangering either of them. He knew immediately this was the sword that Kakashi had worn with the same ANBU gear he was wearing now.

"Kakashi!" Iruka was at a loss for words.

Kakashi was amused, "It's fine, use it. I don't really fight with Katana anymore."

"But," Iruka met his eye, then slipped the Katana back into the sheath, gripping it tightly. "But…!"

"It's a good sword, and you're an excellent swordsman. So I want you to have it," Kakashi reached out and tucked a stray piece of hair back into place. "I'd be happy for you to fight with my sword, Iruka."

Iruka hugged him close, even with the strangeness of the ANBU gear. This was Kakashi, _his _Kakashi, no matter how much of a killer he happened to look at the moment. The sword might have been tainted, once, but Iruka thought this could be Kakashi's way of purifying it–there's no way Iruka would ever use it to take a life, especially not in something like the Hunt.

"I'd be honored," he said, turning his face into Kakashi's neck and smelling his own soap mixed in with the Jounin's skin.

Kakashi helped adjust the back sheath to hold the new sword, and Iruka felt overwhelmed with the gesture. Kakashi was always saying things should stay in the past, but he'd resurrected this heirloom, and Iruka was smart enough to read between the lines. He turned around once it was in place.

"Kakashi, I want you to keep my other sword then," he said.

Kakashi's mouth curled in amusement, "If you like."

"Because when this is over, I want to spar with you sometimes," Iruka smiled, though he felt nervous at the suggestion. He ran a hand over his ponytail.

Kakashi watched him for a minute, and then laughed, "Okay, Iruka, I think we can do that." Iruka sighed in relief, and went the small step that closed the distance between them.

"You should already know," Kakashi murmured after a while, "How much I enjoy crossing swords with you."

Iruka gaped against his neck, but had to laugh at the awful pun. "Pervert," he chastised, relishing in the moment before they would part ways and compete over the Hokage's spheres.

"Of course," Kakashi agreed, kissing him with a wet smack and then adjusting his mask into place. He rubbed a gloved hand along Iruka's cheek.

"Be careful out there," Kakashi said, and Iruka nodded, touching the hand at his jaw in one last moment of contact.

With that the Jounin disappeared in his famous invisible speed, leaving Iruka alone in his apartment to think about Ibiki, and where to try and find him first.

* * *

--

* * *

At the front door, Sasuke paused with his hand on the doorknob and looked directly into Naruto's face. Naruto wasn't sure exactly what he was looking for, but he knew they both were tense with anticipation of the next few hours and everything that rode on them–once they went through that door, the Hunt was _on_.

Naruto felt confident underneath the excitement, armed with everything he needed and his flak jacket zipped snug against his ribs. Sasuke had tied the blue hitai-ate for him once Naruto had dressed; it was comfortable on his forehead, the knot fixed with care, their new ritual complete. All was in place, and as he looked back into Sasuke's black eyes, he saw a similar confidence and excitement.

"Are you ready?" Sasuke asked, his voice that baritone timbre that meant he was vibrating with the desire for combat.

Naruto made a fist in the front of Sasuke's clothing and pulled him forward, kissing him with a possessive ferocity. He gripped the dark locks at the back of his rival's neck with his other hand, just as Sasuke tipped his head backward from the force of his desire. For several minutes they became only the slick wetness of their kisses, Sasuke's strong arm gripping Naruto's body hard against him.

It wasn't tender, it wasn't pretty, but it reinforced what they had agreed to do that night, affirming their commitment to work together towards a common goal.

Naruto looked up into Sasuke's eyes for a short moment before wrenching the collar of his teammate's vest down far enough to add some bites to the spot he'd marked earlier that evening. Sasuke hissed, moving his hand down to grip Naruto's ass, and Naruto grinned against the skin he was nibbling. Sasuke soon clawed at Naruto's collar and mirrored his actions, biting and teasing the tender skin on his neck to ensure his attentions would be visible when they might need to prove who and what they were.

When it was clear they'd marked each other much more thoroughly than was really necessary, Naruto licked his way back over to Sasuke's lips and kissed him one more time, hard and sensual and with everything he felt for his rival compressed into it.

Breathless, and trembling a bit against him, Sasuke met Naruto's eyes, and they had a moment of perfect understanding in the dark entryway of the house, the moonlit night waiting for them outside.

"_Now_ I'm ready," Naruto answered, releasing his grip on Sasuke's clothing and hair.

_'Before and after missions,'_ he repeated in his head, remembering.

Sasuke smirked, smoothing his hands through his hair and zipping his vest back up to his throat, making everything perfect once more. He turned the doorknob and opened the door, pausing briefly to look over his shoulder and cock his head, taunting him they way they always started everything.

"_Ultimate Moron_."

And then they both vanished into the darkness.

* * *

[to be continued...]


	15. Chapter 15

**

* * *

**

**Everyone's Got Secrets… **

Chapter 15:

* * *

Sasuke had barely crossed over the front yard when spectacular bursts of color shattered the night sky.

The reflected light bounced off Naruto's form not too far behind him as they curved through the secluded labyrinth of walls and empty streets to finally pass under the Uchiha archway. The accompanying cracks and pops overhead were loud enough to hush every cicada for miles, while the summer evening felt tangibly thick from the sudden, violent beauty.

Sasuke was aware of the flashing patterns all around as they ventured into the village by roofline, armed to the teeth and scenting for blood. It triggered memories of a different night where he'd also been in the company of Naruto, with adrenaline pumping through his veins and fireworks shooting through the darkness—but his awareness only went far enough to recognize the signal for what it was.

"That's it, isn't it," Naruto commented beside him, his blue eyes scanning their surroundings as they followed their planned course into the heart of Konoha.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied, knowing they both understood what the booming screeches meant: It was midnight. Ibiki was now fair game for the competitors who managed to find him, and the countdown to dawn had begun.

"_Good_," Naruto answered, and Sasuke stole a quick glance at him, intrigued by the husky delivery of the single word.

Naruto looked straight at him; the lower half of his face grinning with mischief while the blue of his eyes had deepened underneath an intent brow, the expression he wore on missions to inform their enemies that they wouldn't stand a chance. Sasuke held his gaze for a moment longer than necessary, indulging since they really hadn't entered dangerous territory just yet and knowing the message wasn't being directed at him—his belly tightened just the same.

They met few townspeople, and zero competing shinobi on their way. The downtown streets were brighter than Sasuke was hoping, considering the late hour, yet the details of the Hunt had not been kept secret from the village as a whole and would undoubtedly attract spectators. If you asked him, it was smarter to stay indoors.

Sasuke shook his head at the rookie Genin and Chuunin who'd come out to see what there was to see, eating treats, giggling, and blissfully disregarding the obvious danger in the darkness. If it were any other time he'd report the little buggers to their sensei—but obviously their sensei were all involved in the Hunt or the students wouldn't be out there in the first place. Sasuke sighed. They better not get in _his_ way.

Naruto signaled with his left hand, and they both halted on the ridgepole of a building that overlooked one of the bigger streets in Konoha. They were close to some of the larger administrative structures surrounding the Hokage tower, and noticeably closer to the source of the fireworks.

"Here's the first one," Naruto nodded below them and to the side, where two doors outside their line of sight faced the sidewalk.

"Let's hope it's the right one," Sasuke replied, withdrawing a kunai and eyeing the street with a frown as he counted how many villagers might block their progress.

"Wait for my signal," Naruto said, slithering across to the building's edge and disappearing over the side through the wall of heavy steam pumping steadily from a large vent.

Sasuke held his position while Naruto checked for Ibiki, senses alert for any other shinobi. Part of him was still doubtful—he'd have felt a lot more confident about this part of their Plan if Naruto hadn't recently thrown out all his old letters and was working from memory alone. If the information was correct they'd have a big lead on their competition… but it was hard not to doubt when the quirks of human beings were naturally unpredictable.

Naruto's blond head popped up through the steam. "Not this one."

Sasuke waited for Naruto to flip gracefully back onto the roof before sprinting towards the next target. There were only five places total that matched up with Naruto's information and were also open 24 hours; Konoha wasn't _that_ big. But Sasuke still hadn't sensed any other shinobi; he tried to shake off the concern.

They slowed and hopped across a narrow alleyway through another cloud of steam. This rooftop vent rumbled with a mechanical purr, and Sasuke moved far enough away from it to keep his senses clear, nodding to his teammate and taking up watch like he had the first time. Idle for the moment, Sasuke thought about Ibiki's line of work and why he'd need a refuge from it. He then touched the naked hollow of his throat, wondering if Itachi had had such a place and hadn't told him.

The sky was still flickering with fireworks when Naruto returned; Sasuke could tell in one glance that he hadn't found Ibiki's secret hiding place. They sprinted off to the next location and Sasuke kept his lips pressed together against the urge to point out how narrow the odds were that the next three locations would prove to be any different.

"I know what you're thinking," Naruto said.

"I didn't say anything," Sasuke replied, moving methodically and scanning their surroundings.

"I'm _sure_ Idate knew what he was talking about," Naruto moved up beside him, "He lived here for quite a while. And it fits, right?"

Sasuke shrugged, bearing to the right to head further North towards the third target. "It fits."

"But you're skeptical," Naruto chuckled.

"Always," Sasuke glanced over to meet Naruto's intense blue eyes. '_Which is why we're a good team_,' he thought.

They landed one after the other, feet silent as they crouched and looked out into the busiest street they'd been to so far, close to the heart of the Festival. Sasuke's lips thinned. Musicians and tumblers were actively entertaining not too far away from the entrance Naruto would have to use, and several food vendors were taking advantage of the business opportunity and offering assorted desserts and snacks to passersby.

Without a word Naruto used a henge to disguise himself as one of the spectators and slipped backward to descend into the side alleyway. Sasuke remained perched where he was, the Sharingan surfacing as he monitored their surroundings. Nothing set off any alarm bells, exactly, but he couldn't help but be discouraged by the lack of fellow competitors—if they saw even one, it would confirm that they were on the right track to finding Ibiki.

Sasuke supposed it was strange to want to be attacked, even knowing that their tip was probably half-accurate in the first place and half-remembered by Naruto at best.

Ibiki's brother had been gone a long time. Sasuke had an idea what that was like.

Sasuke jumped in disbelief when an excited whoop reached him from ground level—his stomach flipped at the recognition of his teammate's voice, even if it wasn't exactly the signal they'd agreed on. Holy…! They really found him?

He followed Naruto's previous path down into the narrow alleyway, and met the eager gaze of his teammate inside the protective shadows. One of Naruto's hands tightly clutched a scroll. The other hand reached out to him when they were side by side, fingers resting on the exposed stripe of his pale skin just below the edge of his vest.

"Hurry," Naruto's eyes sparkled like he'd just been treated to all-you-can-eat Ramen at Ichiraku's. "Iruka told Ibiki to tell me hello, but he wouldn't tell me about anyone else."

_Iruka_?! Sasuke frowned at this information, but Naruto's hand squeezed gently against his hip. The touch was distracting enough that he turned and slipped towards the brighter end of the alley to disguise himself.

The henge got him to the doors without recognition, but once he crossed the threshold the jutsu vanished—the place had obviously been warded. The humid air of the interior hit him with a bouquet of smells all at once, but Sasuke pushed through the cloying scent of flowery soaps and made his way past the rows of washing machines.

The back of the _Lost Sock Laundromat_ had two walls of dryers spinning with a steady drone; according to Morino Idate, the monotonous hum and accompanying warmth were comforting enough to make this one of Ibiki's habitual after-hours hangouts. Sure enough, Ibiki was leaning against the back wall flipping through a magazine, but he folded it under his left armpit as Sasuke came purposefully towards him. The expression on his face was pleasantly amused.

"I figured you'd be one of the first."

"Who else has been here?" Sasuke asked, a little quicker than he intended it to sound.

Ibiki just clucked his tongue, reaching into the lumpy flap of his coat. He moved his fingers over the hidden pockets and withdrew a scroll, checking the markings before handing it over. The Special Jounin's seasoned gaze took in Sasuke's boots, the leather pants, the mesh shirt under the Uchiha flak-jacket and the red of his eyes, but his scarred face was all business.

"Answering questions isn't part of the deal," Ibiki thumped a scroll into Sasuke's waiting hand. "But I congratulate you on your information gathering abilities. You'll find everything you need in there."

Sasuke nodded, and then looked at the scroll in his hand that had his name printed in bold calligraphy—one glance at the black markings along either end had him running for the door as quickly as he could, panic surging through his limbs and clutching at his windpipe.

Naruto better not have opened his yet!

Sasuke startled a villager in the Laundromat's doorway, spinning neatly on his feet to avoid the woman's oversized hamper and darted around the corner to see that Naruto—thank god!—was waiting for his return in the shadowed alleyway.

Naruto's face split in a grin at the sight of him. "Let's see what kind of map this is!" He started to pull the exposed edge of the scroll.

Sasuke's stomach lurched as he ran, "No! Naruto, _don't_--"

But his long legs weren't quick enough. Naruto opened the scroll with a typically dramatic flourish, clearly believing it to be a map or further instructions.

It happened so fast Naruto's smile didn't have time to falter before he—and the scroll—vanished in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

[this chapter in editing; the rest to be continued...]


End file.
